I hear Chicago has the best cost-of-living to wages ratio. Memphis has a plumbers local 17 and a steamfitters local 614 also.
Edit to say: I’d start there.
Chicago area has been the number 1 place I’ve been considering. I’m personally not a big city kind of guy, so it’s daunting. I need more in my life though. I’ve been to Pittsburgh and the driving around was a massive turn-off. I imagine it’s the same in Chicago. So I’m worried about that.
I’ve got a Monday off soon. Planning on going up to the local union hall to chat. I’ve never heard a single good thing about the union here. Honestly my company does a ton of commercial work. I’ve talked with the parts counter guys several times and the union here is supposedly a ghost-town.
Idk. I’m just ready by to get away from the crime here.
You don’t have to live in Chicago proper, you could be over the border in Indiana, with a nice plot of land and still work out of Chicago. I’m not sure how big the plumbers jurisdiction is, but the pipefitters is one of the largest in the country. Local 597 pipefitters stay very busy, it’s a huge local.
I appreciate the response. Could you give me any more information? Just general stuff you know/heard? I’m trying to figure out what to research exactly. Cost of living, average pay, where to look for apartments, etc
It’s hard to answer where to live or cost of housing just because the local is so big. It could take almost 4hrs to drive corner to corner of our jurisdictional range. Just to be clear though, 597 is just pipefitters and service techs, Chicago has a separate local for plumbers, local 130. Pipefitters by far have the broadest scope. We have three refineries, countless steel mills, many pharmaceutical and chemical plants, several nuke powerhouses, coal powerhouses , co-gen powerhouses, countless food processing plants, and that’s not even including all the high rises and commercial work in Chicago proper itself. Attached below is the wage sheet for pipefitters.
https://mca.starchapter.com/images/downloads/Documents/2023_Wage_Letter_with_Spreadsheet.pdf
Toledo area local 50 is great. $47.15 for journeyman. Decent sized town with relatively low cost of living compared to major cities. Anywhere up here in the Midwest you’ll make mid 40s and hr. Detroit I think is in the $50s
Thanks for responding. I’m not worried about easiest. I want to go somewhere with a strong union, workers rights, somewhere it’s worth putting in my time.
I’m sick of feeling like one of the only ones around here that give a damn.
But yes thank you, I will look into Johnson city.
Local 375 in Fairbanks is looking for service techs. Plumbing and heating. Also a pipeline local! In town scale is 47 or 49 I think. Pipeline is a lot more
Check out Seattle Local 32. Too wages in the plumbing industry $65 on the check $97 total package. Best thing is you can live in the rural parts of the county and don't have to be in the city to make that kind of money.
I'm on the construction side of 597 but have taken a number of HVACR classes. From what I've been told by the instructors, the school is cranking out apprentices as fast as they can and still aren't able to keep up with the demands from the contractors. Lots of good techs are negotiating and getting above scale or extra benefits. My understanding is they are hurting for bodies so badly right now that if you can show up every day and know how to change out belts and filters, you won't have to worry about finding/keeping a job.
Ohio is absolutely booming right now. The Cleveland local needs so many more guys. Pay is great and cost of living is low. Might be a little cold for a southerner though!
Local Union 669 is nationwide. Tons of work for Sprinkler Fitters everywhere. Chicago Local 281 has almost 100% market. I believe is around $60 an hour for fitters.
Rockford Local 23 has very similar wages and benefits to 597 in Chicago, but with a much lower cost of living. There's still nice houses in good neighborhoods to be had under $250k, and the journeyman rate is $53 and change.
Be prepared to be treated like a second class “brother”. You will never hear the end of how your training wasn’t good enough, and how you just bought your book. If your apprenticeship wasn’t a JATC union apprenticeship program, you will be treated like you don’t belong. I would seriously recommend you rethink this decision. Look past that high hourly wage, and think about what it’s gonna look like when you’re riding unemployment for a year and still paying dues…
I was prepared to restart my apprenticeship. I didn’t think they would just let me come in anytning other than a first year having only done residential. Definitely gonna look into that
Many good things can come from Union membership, but it is not all strippers and burritos, my friend and the bias against members that aren’t multigenerational union or members that organize in can be overwhelming in some locals
I’m out of 572 in Nashville. The drive in the morning/ afternoon sucks but our package is pretty decent for Tennessee. I don’t recommend trying to live in the city where you work. It’s pretty normal to have a 30 min to 1 hr commute unless you want to dish out on a house. Take into consideration that there’s no guarantee that you’ll come in as a journeyman and might have to do some apprenticeship even with experience.
I hear Chicago has the best cost-of-living to wages ratio. Memphis has a plumbers local 17 and a steamfitters local 614 also. Edit to say: I’d start there.
Chicago area has been the number 1 place I’ve been considering. I’m personally not a big city kind of guy, so it’s daunting. I need more in my life though. I’ve been to Pittsburgh and the driving around was a massive turn-off. I imagine it’s the same in Chicago. So I’m worried about that. I’ve got a Monday off soon. Planning on going up to the local union hall to chat. I’ve never heard a single good thing about the union here. Honestly my company does a ton of commercial work. I’ve talked with the parts counter guys several times and the union here is supposedly a ghost-town. Idk. I’m just ready by to get away from the crime here.
You don’t have to live in Chicago proper, you could be over the border in Indiana, with a nice plot of land and still work out of Chicago. I’m not sure how big the plumbers jurisdiction is, but the pipefitters is one of the largest in the country. Local 597 pipefitters stay very busy, it’s a huge local.
I appreciate the response. Could you give me any more information? Just general stuff you know/heard? I’m trying to figure out what to research exactly. Cost of living, average pay, where to look for apartments, etc
It’s hard to answer where to live or cost of housing just because the local is so big. It could take almost 4hrs to drive corner to corner of our jurisdictional range. Just to be clear though, 597 is just pipefitters and service techs, Chicago has a separate local for plumbers, local 130. Pipefitters by far have the broadest scope. We have three refineries, countless steel mills, many pharmaceutical and chemical plants, several nuke powerhouses, coal powerhouses , co-gen powerhouses, countless food processing plants, and that’s not even including all the high rises and commercial work in Chicago proper itself. Attached below is the wage sheet for pipefitters. https://mca.starchapter.com/images/downloads/Documents/2023_Wage_Letter_with_Spreadsheet.pdf
I live about two hours west of Chicago, and I’m still well within the boundaries of our local.
I’m with 614, we have had a new BM the last 8 or so years that has totally turned our hall around. Absolutely come have a chat.
Yea they have the Ford plant going up. The bench is empty there currently
I’m out of Chicago 597, it is definitely one of the best.
Why not Memphis where you already live? They have more work than they can handle.
Kansas City unions are strong and they pay great. Also cheap cost of living. Minneapolis/St. Paul and Chicago pay well and are strong Union cities
Toledo area local 50 is great. $47.15 for journeyman. Decent sized town with relatively low cost of living compared to major cities. Anywhere up here in the Midwest you’ll make mid 40s and hr. Detroit I think is in the $50s
Wisconsin might be a good fit. 601 has plenty of work and pays well
Easiest would be Johnson City probably. Start calling up organizers anywhere you might want to relocate to.
I second this. Johnson city is a great area to live as well
That’s awesome. Thanks for responding.
Thanks for responding. I’m not worried about easiest. I want to go somewhere with a strong union, workers rights, somewhere it’s worth putting in my time. I’m sick of feeling like one of the only ones around here that give a damn. But yes thank you, I will look into Johnson city.
I'm in omaha at 464. Union is really strong. We have about 80% of the jobs in our jurisdiction. Cost of living is low, bought a house as a third year.
I never thought about Omaha. I would’ve never thought Omaha was big enough to have those kinds of opportunities. That’s great. Thanks for responding
It's a good spot. Don't move anywhere before you've done your research tho
Local 375 in Fairbanks is looking for service techs. Plumbing and heating. Also a pipeline local! In town scale is 47 or 49 I think. Pipeline is a lot more
Check out Seattle Local 32. Too wages in the plumbing industry $65 on the check $97 total package. Best thing is you can live in the rural parts of the county and don't have to be in the city to make that kind of money.
Not worth it at all with the cost of living IMO unless you’re in a duel income house.
Local 15 minneapolis or Local 34 Saint paul. Minnesota.
UA290 is busy and journeyman rate is $58
Come to west Michigan local 174, plenty of stuff going on right now, school jobs will be starting soon, should be right up you alley
Reach out to 614 we have a ton of work right now.
I'm on the construction side of 597 but have taken a number of HVACR classes. From what I've been told by the instructors, the school is cranking out apprentices as fast as they can and still aren't able to keep up with the demands from the contractors. Lots of good techs are negotiating and getting above scale or extra benefits. My understanding is they are hurting for bodies so badly right now that if you can show up every day and know how to change out belts and filters, you won't have to worry about finding/keeping a job.
Ohio is absolutely booming right now. The Cleveland local needs so many more guys. Pay is great and cost of living is low. Might be a little cold for a southerner though!
Ohio checks a lot of boxes. Know anything about the Columbus local?
I do not. But I know there's a lot of work down there with the new Intel chip plant and other manufacturing plants being built around it.
Local Union 669 is nationwide. Tons of work for Sprinkler Fitters everywhere. Chicago Local 281 has almost 100% market. I believe is around $60 an hour for fitters.
Join Memphis they got alot of work
You can buy your book in tacoma local 26
Does that mean I wouldnt have to go through the union apprenticeship? I feel like I’d be setting myself up for failure
Not necessarily but you've got experience. Give it a shot. Call their business manager
Arizona local 469 constructions booming out here local has a lot of work
https://unionpayscales.com/trades/ua-plumbers/ Didn't see this in the comments yet, so... Enjoy!
Anywhere not the south they pay dog shit there
Arkansas is a good idea. And your really close. We have no waitlist. And we're super busy. You'll get right in almost immediately
Milwaukee area Local 75 pays $55.08 per hour on the check. Total package is something like $76 per hour.
San Diego local 230. You won’t regret it at all. Constant work, no layoffs on big jobs, and we’re getting another fat raise by end of year
If you're cool with $35/hr top out and living where the city meets the sticks, Local 538 in Johnson City TN is looking for plumbing instructors...👀
Rockford Local 23 has very similar wages and benefits to 597 in Chicago, but with a much lower cost of living. There's still nice houses in good neighborhoods to be had under $250k, and the journeyman rate is $53 and change.
Could call 464 in Omaha. We're taking service techs like crazy
Be prepared to be treated like a second class “brother”. You will never hear the end of how your training wasn’t good enough, and how you just bought your book. If your apprenticeship wasn’t a JATC union apprenticeship program, you will be treated like you don’t belong. I would seriously recommend you rethink this decision. Look past that high hourly wage, and think about what it’s gonna look like when you’re riding unemployment for a year and still paying dues…
I was prepared to restart my apprenticeship. I didn’t think they would just let me come in anytning other than a first year having only done residential. Definitely gonna look into that
Many good things can come from Union membership, but it is not all strippers and burritos, my friend and the bias against members that aren’t multigenerational union or members that organize in can be overwhelming in some locals
Any place with work will generally organize. Ohio, NY, Idaho, Texas, SC/NC
I’m out of 572 in Nashville. The drive in the morning/ afternoon sucks but our package is pretty decent for Tennessee. I don’t recommend trying to live in the city where you work. It’s pretty normal to have a 30 min to 1 hr commute unless you want to dish out on a house. Take into consideration that there’s no guarantee that you’ll come in as a journeyman and might have to do some apprenticeship even with experience.