Just got my 597 results

[jtrammel]

unions are stupid... and let the battle begin.

[Gstepgettinit]

Yup and that means work itself is stupid, since unions make up a lot of the work. A job is a job. Amen.

[Gstepgettinit]

How would you go about starting to work for a non union pipe welding company??

[2sac]

How would you go about starting to work for a non union pipe welding company??

You're not going to find one in the Chicago area.

[KnewYork]

It's actually top 17% and that's why this thing is such bs. You can't put a guys rank on their as a basis to get in if the #200 guy is a dumb ass who slacks off, (which makes him useless, hence the dumb ass) and the #300 guy works like a maniac and is really smart. You tell me if the ranking system is fair.

Actually, your score of 393 did not put you in the top 17%. If you do the math, you are in at 23.4347%, so you aren't even in the top 20%. I also fail to see your analogy of who gets in and who doesn't. How would a guy be #300 if "works like a maniac and is really smart"? If he was really smart wouldn't he be ranked higher in the testing?

There has to be a way to determine who gets selected to an apprenticeship program. Throughout the country local unions have standardized testing for their regions. How else does one determine who gets in and who doesn't? Colleges have tests. I even applied for a job and had to take a test even though I'd been 25 years in the union (and 33 in the trade). Once you are in the union there are certification tests you may be required to take. IMO, it's the only way to determine if you have what it takes. A person can be all gung ho, but not possess the aptitude to perform the job. I've seen that many times in my career. Nice guys with great attitude, but just didn't "get it".

Do you know what part of the test you didn't do well on? If you want to be a fitter, there is a lot of mathematics involved. If you want to be a welder I guess that's another thing. Based on my observations over the years there are more fitters who can weld pipe than there are welders who can fit pipe. So what does that mean? When work gets slow the guys who aren't able to do both might be the first laid off. Many years ago the company I worked for was doing a slew of chiller change-outs and retrofits. We had so much going on we hired a welder from the hall. Damn good welder, too. After he would finish some welding, we offered to show him some of the other stuff that we did. He would say "Naw, that's O.K." and sit waiting for the next weld. Guess who got laid off as soon as the retrofits started to slow down?

How about finding out where you struggled on the test and see if there are any classes you can take or books you can read to get you up to speed. Once you've put in the time and effort, take the test again and see if you can improve your position.

I wish you all the best.

[Gstepgettinit]

Yup that's very true. But I didn't get in because I lack work experience. And there ARE non union pipefitter companies. They are coming to my school very soon. The contractors that interviewed me, (hays and steinbacher) were non union pipefitters for two years. And I think that's what I have to do. The test was stupid easy and I studied for hours and hours and every day.

[2sac]

Hayes is a 597 shop and I've not heard of Steinbacher. Hayes is a mechanical contractor that specializes in commercial and industrial boilers. My shop is a mechanical contractor that uses pipefitters and tin knockers, for service and construction. You name it, we do it. Are you looking for a non union mechanical contractor? or process piping? Plumbing? HVAC/R? I am not aware that there is a "pipe fitting" company.

[Gstepgettinit]

I'm not sure of the name exactly I will let you know soon. My teacher called them non union pipefitters. And the contractors seemed to really like me a lot. And the interview lasted about 40 minutes! And it just sounded really promising and every answer I have to their questions they said exactly what we are looking for and they even talked to me 15 minutes afterwards talking about what I would do on the job site and the things I got to learn from new technology!

[2sac]

I hope all goes well

[Gstepgettinit]

They could just well be non union mechancal contractors. Yeah I just want to get a welding job. I'm good at math and I love to weld and I am training for competitions in welding at jjc. And I am just very good. I will be mastering pipe welding in literally like a few months with the right around of Time. Learn really fast and work 100% at everything I do.

[Gstepgettinit]

Yup I hope so to. Thanks. But I don't feel good about hoping at all. I see the fitters want me in there already trained so I will just get all my certifications and apply again.

[Gstepgettinit]

Do you have any idea when the Exxon Mobil job starts? I was talking to a friend who is a 597 pipefitter and he doesn't know either. And do you know around how many apprentices and journeymen should be on that job? Is it huge?

[2sac]

Honestly have no clue. I've been off work due to injury for 7 months. I'm also a service guy. I haven't worked in a plant in almost 15 years when I first started in this trade.

[Gstepgettinit]

That sucks, what happened?!

[ControlsInMT]

Haliburton is hiring in North Dakota for welders....

[2sac]

I was attacked by an evaporator coil inside a cooler. Tore the cartilage in my shoulder and popped 2 discs in my neck. I've already had surgery on my shoulder and hoping to avoid neck/spine surgery. Going thru less evasive treatments right now.

[Gstepgettinit]

No I'm not moving to the middle of nowhere!!

[Gstepgettinit]

That really sucks.... Does it hurt a lot or did it?! ... Dumb questions most likely!

[Dilp172]

try applying at starcon

[Gstepgettinit]

How would you go about applying for that?