Continue working for HVAC contractor or branch out and apply to local union?

[sto2299001]

I have been working as a helper or apprentice with my dad who is a licensed HVAC contractor since June. I have also been attending a HVAC training program at my community college/training center since September. I am enrolled in a 12 month HVAC program which follows the curriculum of the NCCER. I wish I could see the future and know which path would be the better of the two. In the long run a union job would provide me a retirement package, benefits, and a great salary, my dad plans to retire in 4-5 years. As of now we are growing the business: have a website, doing local advertising, working with 3 different insurance companies etc. Anyone ever been faced in a similar dilemma? When you run your own business everything falls on your shoulders, and right now I have been acting as the apprentice, administrative assistant, accounts payable, etc...but the business does have it own perks. Any insight..

-plus me and my old man bump heads alot, and its frustrating.

[snupytcb]

it does have it's perks but alot of headache comes with it. do you have employees?

[toocoolforschool]

Stay put and get all the experience you can. If you can't get along with your own pops you will probably have trouble wherever you go. Remember this, and I speak from experience, wherever you go there YOU are.,

[sto2299001]

it does have it's perks but alot of headache comes with it. do you have employees?

well in the summer we had 1-2 guys who are able to work with us, mainly guys retired, they have known my dad for 20+ years and have 20+ years experience. They want to stay busy and they will lead a job or pick up a side call here or there, but as for employee's just me. I have a buddy who is in tech school, hopefully in a couple years he could jump right in and we could sub out work, but for the foreseeable future its just me and dad.

[sto2299001]

Stay put and get all the experience you can. If you can't get along with your own pops you will probably have trouble wherever you go. Remember this, and I speak from experience, wherever you go there YOU are.,

Thanks too cool, I will consider it.

[snupytcb]

do you ever look forward to running the business? for me it was something i always wanted to do. my friend had a business and for the most part had "my area" locked . when he told me he was selling, i saw an oppertunity and acted. it worked out very well for me. i think more timing than anything else. it's funny cause when i told him i was moving my biz he started up again. if it is something you look forward to you should give it a try. i believe most everyone should try it.

[wahoo]

Be open and honest with your Dad, notice I didn't say to not respect him. If he's truly going to retire in just a few years, then you'd be in the right place with experience to "take over" once he goes. I have a son in my business, and sometimes we don't see "eye to eye" however he's coming along and has almost all his certifications. Just hang in there and sit down in a year or so to have a serious heart to heart with Dad and feel him out. You need to start making some plans for the business. And you DON'T want to end up your Dad's age and be the only employee. That's not a valid "retirement" plan in my book! Be respectfully honest with him about your concerns and fears! Hang in there!
Remember, Patience is a virtue, seldom possessed by the young!!

[sto2299001]

Be open and honest with your Dad, notice I didn't say to not respect him. If he's truly going to retire in just a few years, then you'd be in the right place with experience to "take over" once he goes. I have a son in my business, and sometimes we don't see "eye to eye" however he's coming along and has almost all his certifications. Just hang in there and sit down in a year or so to have a serious heart to heart with Dad and feel him out. You need to start making some plans for the business. And you DON'T want to end up your Dad's age and be the only employee. That's not a valid "retirement" plan in my book! Be respectfully honest with him about your concerns and fears! Hang in there!
Remember, Patience is a virtue, seldom possessed by the young!!

Thanks man those are some good words of advice. Well my dad worked for 30 years for a large company. In January he retired and started this company, and in June I joined him. I appreciate the advice, thanks. What certifications is your son working on? I am about to sit for the EPA EXAM? I also want to prepare in 1-2 yrs to take the journeyman, in my state you need to graduate from a certificate or diploma program before being eligible which is why I am enrolled in a 12 month program.

[sto2299001]

do you ever look forward to running the business? for me it was something i always wanted to do. my friend had a business and for the most part had "my area" locked . when he told me he was selling, i saw an oppertunity and acted. it worked out very well for me. i think more timing than anything else. it's funny cause when i told him i was moving my biz he started up again. if it is something you look forward to you should give it a try. i believe most everyone should try it.

Yea I have always wanted to be my own boss. I believe a 9-5 is for the birds.

[wahoo]

He finished a bachelor's degree in business about 2 1/2 years ago, and went job hunting (but had very few offers), so came home and went to work with me. He's got his EPA and LP gas certifcation along with his journeyman's license. I've still got a couple of technical school classes that I think he needs to take along with a NATE class or two. But he's really handy around the office also. He just needs more field experience and maturity in dealing with situations. Overall, though he's doing fine.

[sto2299001]

He finished a bachelor's degree in business about 2 1/2 years ago, and went job hunting (but had very few offers), so came home and went to work with me. He's got his EPA and LP gas certifcation along with his journeyman's license. I've still got a couple of technical school classes that I think he needs to take along with a NATE class or two. But he's really handy around the office also. He just needs more field experience and maturity in dealing with situations. Overall, though he's doing fine.

WOW thats sounds great! What was the process in your state to sit for the journeyman? I never heard of a LP gas certification, I just know for gas you need a master gasfitters to install a furnace.. Is the Nate something he just doing to help advance his own career? I want to order some Nate study material personally. Congrats on you and your son!

[KnewYork]

Yea I have always wanted to be my own boss. I believe a 9-5 is for the birds.

It's good you feel this way because when you own your own business it's 24/7/365 for quite some time. The upside potential is large, but it doesn't come without sacrifice. Some sacrifice their hobbies/free time, others sacrifice their health, others sacrifice their families...make sure the sacrifice you make is temporary and you own the business the business doesn't own you.

[grkmano]

I had a pizzeria restaurant with my father and we bumped head all the time. so one day after a huge fight we had, I put the restaurant for sale. I was always handy so decided to go back to school and ended upin school learning about hvac. I finished the associate and went into the field worked for a union company for about four years then moved on to another union company for another three.. through out all this I used to take service calls only in refrigeration, cause the company I worked for was commercial ac only.

to get to the point I know own my own company and I have my father working with me from time to time....if I was you I would defiantly take th opportunity to learn from someone that only wants the best for you.. I just hope you love the work. love challenging yourself. cause this field will always have challenging days.

[neophytes serendipity]

I have been working as a helper or apprentice with my dad who is a licensed HVAC contractor since June. I have also been attending a HVAC training program at my community college/training center since September. I am enrolled in a 12 month HVAC program which follows the curriculum of the NCCER. I wish I could see the future and know which path would be the better of the two. In the long run a union job would provide me a retirement package, benefits, and a great salary, my dad plans to retire in 4-5 years. As of now we are growing the business: have a website, doing local advertising, working with 3 different insurance companies etc. Anyone ever been faced in a similar dilemma? When you run your own business everything falls on your shoulders, and right now I have been acting as the apprentice, administrative assistant, accounts payable, etc...but the business does have it own perks. Any insight..

-plus me and my old man bump heads alot, and its frustrating.

You will only get those union benefits if you work enough hours and you will only get that union retirement if you are able to continue working enough hours through the years as you get older until retirement. Partial pension credits and breaks in service will really hurt.

In my area, in the sheet metal union, internal union politics instead of skill plays a huge role in whether or not you work those hours during economic downturns. The BA's can either leave you alone (not do anything either way), help you or hurt you. Your "union brothers" can do the same. When it is busy, the demand for bodies will sustain employment.

When you hit 50 around here, work starts drying up. Companies will not hire you unless you are well established or have some help from someone already working there... or politics.

Many well qualified, hard working and decent people that I know have been forced into early retirement, at a substantial penalty, because they can't get a job and would be ineligible for that union subsidized health care because they aren't working enough hours prior to retirement.

Once you retire, there are clauses that trigger revocation of benefits if you take a job to supplement your income. The list of prohibited jobs/fields is long.

All of those things that appeal to you as a potential union employee are available to you as a business owner. If the business is viable, you would be a fool to toss that aside and go union as an employee.

Stop bumping heads with dad, pay attention and show an interest in taking over and growing the company. That will get you further than a union card.

[acmanhoney]

It's good you feel this way because when you own your own business it's 24/7/365 for quite some time. The upside potential is large, but it doesn't come without sacrifice. Some sacrifice their hobbies/free time, others sacrifice their health, others sacrifice their families...make sure the sacrifice you make is temporary and you own the business the business doesn't own you.

AMEN!

[MechanicallyInclined]

I'd say join your Union Local, but don't quit your job. Only quit when the Local sends you to work on a service dispatch. The Sheet Metal Workers Union? The guy above must've had a bad life long experience with them. HVACR is UA work!

[sto2299001]

You will only get those union benefits if you work enough hours and you will only get that union retirement if you are able to continue working enough hours through the years as you get older until retirement. Partial pension credits and breaks in service will really hurt.

In my area, in the sheet metal union, internal union politics instead of skill plays a huge role in whether or not you work those hours during economic downturns. The BA's can either leave you alone (not do anything either way), help you or hurt you. Your "union brothers" can do the same. When it is busy, the demand for bodies will sustain employment.

When you hit 50 around here, work starts drying up. Companies will not hire you unless you are well established or have some help from someone already working there... or politics.

Many well qualified, hard working and decent people that I know have been forced into early retirement, at a substantial penalty, because they can't get a job and would be ineligible for that union subsidized health care because they aren't working enough hours prior to retirement.

Once you retire, there are clauses that trigger revocation of benefits if you take a job to supplement your income. The list of prohibited jobs/fields is long.

All of those things that appeal to you as a potential union employee are available to you as a business owner. If the business is viable, you would be a fool to toss that aside and go union as an employee.

Stop bumping heads with dad, pay attention and show an interest in taking over and growing the company. That will get you further than a union card.

Thanks alot, gonna take your advice. Thanks for replying!

[craig1]

Yea I have always wanted to be my own boss. I believe a 9-5 is for the birds.

9-5 is for the birds. 24/7/365 is for the real men

[neophytes serendipity]

I'd say join your Union Local, but don't quit your job. Only quit when the Local sends you to work on a service dispatch. The Sheet Metal Workers Union? The guy above must've had a bad life long experience with them. HVACR is UA work!

Yeah, HVACR is UA work.

I guess that's why the BA's, other union officers and teachers at a nearby UA local hold building trades cards, not the lower scale HVACR cards... or that new "residential" "R-card" even lower scale BS they came up with.

Thanks alot, gonna take your advice. Thanks for replying!

Good luck.

You can provide your own health insurance and set up your own retirement. Not that it's any better or easier to do it for yourself, but being part of an established company will help.

[sto2299001]

9-5 is for the birds. 24/7/365 is for the real men

hell yea!