atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information ibew - elecrical license required

Here in MA the Union is pushing very hard
to make it mandatory that all people working with low voltage including installation of phone systems be licensed as an electrician.

I was wondering if this was a local or national phenomenon? What do you think about this? Possitives and negatives?


Corwyn

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

sounds like BS to me. Haven't heard of it anywhere else. Unions used to protect the workers, now they seem to do more harm than good.

Based on the number of times we need to fix jacks, run new wiring after the electrician daisy chained cable etc.. it seems like the electricians should be looking at additional requirements/training before they enter our world not us having to meet their requirements to continue doing our job the same way we have been doing it for years!!

This has come up every few years since I started in the business in 1984. Do you really think the CWA union is going to pay to get all thier techs certified? This is just the ongoing rant between the IBEW and the CWA.
mark

HEre in Oregon it has been around for at least 10 years.

I personnally have gone through a 4 year apprenticeship program. The 2 year one only allows 2 non-lifesaftey endorsements (i.e. paging and CATV)

The 4 year apprenticeship took a total of 5 years to complete due to all the B.S.

That tracked hours worked under a liscenced journeyman, but only pulling cable(programming systems doesn't count towards the hours). In addition to that, I had to go to some expensive schooling pertaining to the NEC and other crap. NOW they have instituted a program tat requires 32 hours additional code related traqining AND 16 ours of code change classes. Total $500.00.
When I sat for my exam, I had questions pertaining to 3 phase, "luminares", what type of conduit does a 240V circuit in an unfinished basement require, and what Kcmils does the ground wire for a 440v transformer need to be.

That really pertains to low voltage right?

Additionally we need to have permits to pull Data cable BUT NOT VOICE ( ALLOWS AN OUT FOR THE QWEST UNION)

I understand trying to improve the wiring practices, such as not having 300 pounds of cable laying on the ceiling tiles, but I feel they went a little overboard.

I'm in the middle of tonnng out 600 cables because the highly trained electricians don't know how to label fricken cables correctly.

Also I have noticed most of the people behind thse changes are also profitting the most from hosting these expensive classes.
Gotta love the Unions.

I think RI has the same rule it was a while ago they did it…. They grandfather in telecom workers who could prove they were in the business for 5 years.

Just another way for the union to get you to pay and pay

Its all about another way to collect membership dues......THATS IT!!!!!!

It's in the state of Conn. and parts of New York and it all comes from IBEW who think they are the only people in the world that can run cable

Is there a site or resource to find info on their activities/proposals etc.

It might be nice to know what they're up to and maybe be able have an input or counterpoint.

C