What in the world is
the Book?
You could think of the Union as being similar to an employment
agency in that
they will find you work if it is available. To do so, they use a
book system. Most Locals
have a total of five books. The following is a brief look at each
book. It is not necessarily
the way every Local has theirs set up, so be sure to check and
see how your is done.
Book 1: All Journeyman Wireman that have their
"ticket" in their home Local,
have passed the J.W. test and have worked for one year
under a collective
bargaining agreement.
Book 2: All Journeyman Wireman who have traveled from
their home Local to
another Local to secure work. Any Journeyman Wireman who
has passed the J.W.
test, but has not worked under a collective bargaining
agreement for one year.
Book 3: Any member of a Local that is not a Journeyman
Wireman, but is
employed in the electrical field. An example of this would
be an electronics
technician.
Book 4: Usually limited to newly organized people who
have not passed the
J.W. test and have not worked under a collective
bargaining agreement for one
year.
Book 5: This is normally the "out of class"
book. It would include anyone
hired on a part time or short term basis that is not
looking to join the
Union. These people are usually hired when all the other
books are clear
and calls are going unfilled.
All hiring is done through this book system. The lower your
book number, the
sooner you will go to work. This is one reason that it is very
important for you to pass the
J.W. test as soon as you can. Layoffs work in the opposite
direction. The larger your book
number the sooner you could get laid off. Layoffs are by the job
and not by the company.
What kind of skills do
I need?
It is very important to keep in mind that every Journeyman
Wireman that came up
through the apprenticeship program, spent either four or five
years in the program. The
length of time depends on when they went through it. It is
presently a five year program.
In the Union apprenticeship program, all of the skills needed by
a Journeyman are taught
by skilled Journeyman Wireman instructors. What they learn in the
classroom is backed-up
by the Journeymen they work with in the field.
In comparison, most non-union contractors do
not require their people to go to an
apprenticeship school. It costs them money. They believe in
on-the-job training or
learning by-the-seat-of-your-pants methods. Mistakes and poor
workmanship are
common place. Safety is usually not an issue.
Can you properly use an NEC code book? Do
you know what is code in your local?
Do you know if the towns you work in have made further
restrictions to the NEC?
Can you wire a house? Can you size wire, pipe and boxes per the
NEC?
Can you wire a three way switch? Can you
bend conduit? Can you run a hydraulic
bender? Can you read a blueprint? Can you read a one line
diagram? Can you read a
ladder diagram? Do you know how to do control wiring? Can you do
all these things
and more? If not, then you need to improve your skills.
Keep in mind that there are a lot of
Journeymen that fear having an organized
person as a tool partner. You will have to prove yourself capable
to them. Word does
spread and you will want that word about you to be good. Union
Journeyman Wiremen
have the opportunity to take classes to refresh or update their
skills and knowledge.
These classes are offered by the Local on a yearly basis.
Your
"ticket"
When you "sign-on" with the Union, you begin to pay
dues and will receive a
dues receipt. This dues receipt will be referred to as your
ticket, your card or you dues
receipt. You need to keep it with you where ever you work. Your
employer may request
to see it when you hire-on. Other Union members may also ask to
see it, this could
include members of Unions other than the IBEW. When you travel,
any Local you wish
to sign the book in will require you to show them your
dues receipt. You will have to
keep your dues paid up to date in order for it to be valid in
other Locals and to keep from
getting a possible fine in your Home Local. Generally you will be
asked to show a paid-
up dues receipt. You are required to show it when asked.
Signing the
Book.
When you pay your initial dues, you will also sign one of the
books. Which one
will depend on whether or not you have passed the J.W. test. Once
signed you are
considered available for work. Since you are being organized,
chances are that there is a
job available for you. If not you will be required to go through
the regular dispatch
procedure that your Local uses. This procedure will vary from one
Local to the next.
Most will have a recorder on witch they list the jobs available.
Some will give you the
opportunity to request a job when you listen to the recorder.
Some will require you to call
in the next day to put in your request. Still others go by the
Book and call the top person
on Book 1 to see if they want the job, if not they will continue
down the book until the
jobs are filled. You will have to check with your Local to
determine their procedure.
There are two types of calls: short and long. A short call is
generally when the job or
request from the contractor is for ten (10) days or less ( the
exception being when the
call is for 14 days in a row i.e.: 14 days straight ( including
saturday and sunday ), working
12 hour days. This 14 day call would be the longest you would
have a short call.). In turn,
a long call is any request for longer than ten (10) days. When
you accept a short call,
you usually do not lose your place on the Book. When accepting a
long call you will be
taken off the Book. When you are laid off on a short call, most
Locals will allow you to
call in and let them know the call has ended and you are
available for work again.
When laid off from a long call you will have to personally sign
the Book again. At this
time you will have to show a lay-off slip. This slip is given to
you by the contractor on
your last day of work.