OUR DEAR FRIEND HAS CANCER FCS

[RayD8630]

That shop was lying to you.....In Canada you MUST either be an indentured apprentice or a TQ'd journeman.......you CANNOT be used/worked as a labourer and you MUST be banking your hours as an apprentice.....don't let the SOB BS you....
Did you hear back from Steve at all in Alberta?

Unfortunately Moon is right. A lot of non-union shops here have guys with just a helpers (G3) or small appliance (G2) gas license working in the field. Especially so in residential. Hence why getting into the union was a blessing for me.

When I came back to here from NB I got into a residential shop. I mainly went on resi split installs because of my fridgie schooling. It paid the bills and kept me in the industry. But the problem was that there was only one guy who worked in the sales department who had a Red Seal. I was pushing to get him to take me on as an apprentice but then the G2 guy I was riding with wanted to get his. Naturally he took him on since he had senority and was told when he gets his Red Seal, ill get my chance. You can get a G2 for $2000 and a few months of night school. At that point in my life I had a one year pre-trade program and was a licensed apprentice in NB that had passed the Provincial block one exam (10 month $12000 investment).

In Ontario they do have whats called the 313D. Its a 2 and a half year residential apprenticeship (you're allowed to service systems up to 5 tons). I talked to a friend of mine from when I worked there and they're now trying to get the guys there at least that. I don't think they will be able to put out 313A's though (313A is a play on 7313 which is the NOC for our trade). 313D is a Provincial only trade where as 313A is the Ontario name for the Red Seal (anything and all).

The shops where Moon and I live CAN hire guys as helpers and labour. They can also work these guys without putting hours towards any kind of apprenticeship. They are just "gas fitters."

This is why the Union was great. I was able to transfer over my training and pick up where I left off. Fortunately for me as well, I did it at the right time. Apparently now they are not letting apprentices transfer over from any Province anymore. They all have to start out at basic. Or so I heard this week. Then again the rumor mill is always working around here.

[Doug Lockhart]

Unfortunately Moon is right. A lot of non-union shops here have guys with just a helpers (G3) or small appliance (G2) gas license working in the field. Especially so in residential. Hence why getting into the union was a blessing for me.

When I came back to here from NB I got into a residential shop. I mainly went on resi split installs because of my fridgie schooling. It paid the bills and kept me in the industry. But the problem was that there was only one guy who worked in the sales department who had a Red Seal. I was pushing to get him to take me on as an apprentice but then the G2 guy I was riding with wanted to get his. Naturally he took him on since he had senority and was told when he gets his Red Seal, ill get my chance. You can get a G2 for $2000 and a few months of night school. At that point in my life I had a one year pre-trade program and was a licensed apprentice in NB that had passed the Provincial block one exam (10 month $12000 investment).

In Ontario they do have whats called the 313D. Its a 2 and a half year residential apprenticeship (you're allowed to service systems up to 5 tons). I talked to a friend of mine from when I worked there and they're now trying to get the guys there at least that. I don't think they will be able to put out 313A's though (313A is a play on 7313 which is the NOC for our trade). 313D is a Provincial only trade where as 313A is the Ontario name for the Red Seal (anything and all).

The shops where Moon and I live CAN hire guys as helpers and labour. They can also work these guys without putting hours towards any kind of apprenticeship. They are just "gas fitters."

This is why the Union was great. I was able to transfer over my training and pick up where I left off. Fortunately for me as well, I did it at the right time. Apparently now they are not letting apprentices transfer over from any Province anymore. They all have to start out at basic. Or so I heard this week. Then again the rumor mill is always working around here.

God, Ont. is starting to get as stupid and protective as kebec ah!?
You guys are nuts if you don't dig into opportunities in Alberta.....the opportunities and money are both way too high..

[RayD8630]

God, Ont. is starting to get as stupid and protective as kebec ah!?
You guys are nuts if you don't dig into opportunities in Alberta.....the opportunities and money are both way too high..

Thought about it. Took a wrong turn at Albuquerque I guess.

[Doug Lockhart]

Thought about it. Took a wrong turn at Albuquerque I guess.

And here I thought you Maritimers had balls and a sense of adventure......I guess you live too close to the whining little b!tches in kebec....

[SolarMike]

Ilija (moon),so you got on with a commercial shop? I wish I could have been more help. I've lots of bigger boilers and controls over the years but other than the commercial heat pumps and boilers (all custom installs and not regular), we are not going in for standard RTU service even though that can be bread and butter.

And, I do take on helpers and figure out if they are any good. Sometimes they last for a week, sometimes for longer and one lasted for 10 years, till I put the company on hold during my cancer. It is really hard now to find a young dude who doesn't sit on the smart phone all day or expect to be making $80k in 2 years, without quals.

And I am so glad got my G1 20+ years ago, couldn't afford the time now.

And Doug, we Maritimes DO have the balls and sense of adventure. It's in the bones "me son".

And Art,.....very big condolences on your loss. Reading it in real time took me back a ways....

[timebuilder]

Thanks, Mike.

Good morning, Bret and everyone.

[Doug Lockhart]

Ilija (moon),so you got on with a commercial shop? I wish I could have been more help. I've lots of bigger boilers and controls over the years but other than the commercial heat pumps and boilers (all custom installs and not regular), we are not going in for standard RTU service even though that can be bread and butter.

And, I do take on helpers and figure out if they are any good. Sometimes they last for a week, sometimes for longer and one lasted for 10 years, till I put the company on hold during my cancer. It is really hard now to find a young dude who doesn't sit on the smart phone all day or expect to be making $80k in 2 years, without quals.

And I am so glad got my G1 20+ years ago, couldn't afford the time now.

And Doug, we Maritimes DO have the balls and sense of adventure. It's in the bones "me son".

And Art,.....very big condolences on your loss. Reading it in real time took me back a ways....

After poking fun at the two 'younguns' about being adventuresome and tough enough to venture out into Alta.....I do appreciate the two facts that you presented. One is being that I hear you on the old body....after 35 years (Thursday was the start of my 36th year) doing this at 2-3X the pace of a normal man, I have 4 operations on my knee and a back that is to the point of standing for 4 hours or driving for 3 hours will cause me to have my legs go to sleep with pinched nerves.....spinal compression they call it. But I could change an M body 5 HP Coplametic by myself. As for the maritimer work ethic, Steven my buddy who left the Island in 2001 because of lack of work at 40+ years old is the guy that's making $24K/month now in Calgary as a project lead...yes that's $24,000/month. He was out in the Atlantic the night the Ocean Ranger went down....in a sister platform and ran leg pumps on 'hand' for 36 hours straight as you probably already know the electronics in the legs that were below the water line were 'telling the pumps' to basically keep flooding the LOW legs instead of the other way 'round. They realized it and ran them manually ...... so I know about the work ethic AND the crazy, crazy a$$ed sense of humour...
For all the other guys out there DO NOT EVER DARE a maritimer to do anything .....if you do the next thing you know you'll be in jail!!!

[Moonrunner]

'Mornin' Bret and everyone. Mike, didn't get a job in the trade yet, the part time work was supposed to be in an auto-mechanic's shop doing tire changes, but the guy didn't return my call. NBD, already got FT hours and it's decent $$$. We'll see what happens after the followups, plus there are a few more places to go to next week.

Doug, I've seen islanders in the workplace and they've always been good at their jobs, so what you said about Steve doesn't surprise me. Also, a plumber doesn't get to run refer guys without bustin' hump (the smart way) through the ranks

[Doug Lockhart]

'Mornin' Bret and everyone. Mike, didn't get a job in the trade yet, the part time work was supposed to be in an auto-mechanic's shop doing tire changes, but the guy didn't return my call. NBD, already got FT hours and it's decent $$$. We'll see what happens after the followups, plus there are a few more places to go to next week.

Doug, I've seen islanders in the workplace and they've always been good at their jobs, so what you said about Steve doesn't surprise me. Also, a plumber doesn't get to run refer guys without bustin' hump (the smart way) through the ranks

Steven's from Halifax and worked in the dockyard for a number of years. He had an apprentice that moved too slow so one day he 'locked' a set of vice grips on the cheek of his a$$ !!!!
NEVER had to tell him to hurry up again!!!
When we worked together we never spoke but it was like machinery in
Motion

[SolarMike]

Steven's from Halifax and worked in the dockyard for a number of years. He had an apprentice that moved too slow so one day he 'locked' a set of vice grips on the cheek of his a$$ !!!!
NEVER had to tell him to hurry up again!!!
When we worked together we never spoke but it was like machinery in
Motion

OHHH, you can't do the vise grip trick any more.....they will call mommy.

[Moonrunner]

OHHH, you can't do the vise grip trick any more.....they will call mommy.

Put in a WSIB claim for loss of work due to damage to their thinking apparatus

[Doug Lockhart]

Can you frickin imagine what kind of pickle you'd be in trying to explain the location of that massive hickey to her old lady!!??

[SolarMike]

I'd like t be a fly on the wall when she sees it. HAHA. Kids can't take a kick in the a$$ any more, metaphorically speaking, of course