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Im about to finish welding school here in the next month or so. Im curious to see what your opinions are as far as jobs, unions etc.. Also where a good place to start. Are instructors are pushing us on 6g pipe certification. Is this the best route? Thanks for any input. We havegone through all of the major processes mig,tig, stick, flux etc.

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G6 is definately the route to go. Once you get that you know you can weld anything or rather everything else is easy. Then it's all about materail certs. Stainless, Duplex, Cooper Nicle, Inconel... nail any of the last 3 and you've got a $30hr+ job in the basket.. add your own Tig rig truck and wilingness to travel.. call it $70+/hr. Colorado has lots of pipe lines that need maintained there for tons of companies with contracts to maintain them. Texas and lousiana have dozens of ship yards refineries to explore.

No I'm not a full time welder but I am G6 and G3 certified in Mig, and Tig on Carbon steel 2" & 6" and Stainless, as well as CuNi 90/10.. the duplex and inconell..you can KEEP EM, those two are difficult test! Mostly their procedures are tricky because all the factors have to be perfect or it'll fail XRay..

Edited by poolingmyignorance
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hey tim , ive been in the iron workers union for 19 years and welding in all positions is a huge part of my job . certifification in 6g is great , take the time to get all the certs you can , although any place you go will want to certify you on site , youre creds from youre school just get you in the door . with 6g a good place to start would be with youre local pipe fitters union , on average pipe fitters make 30 -40 an hour on thier check as well as another 40 -or so dollars in benifits ,insurence ,annuity ,pension and so on .really it all depends on how far you want to take it , you can get the super fancy certs but you may have a more difficult time trying to find a place to utilize them , or set up youre own truck as poolingmyignorance suggested , which has always been a dream of mine but im actually really happy where im at .if you do want to start youre own small buisness it may be wise to start under someone else to get some field expieriance . best of luck and hope youre successful whatever path you choose .

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Go for the Pipefitter's Union.The insurance and pension are worth the crap you will have to put up with. I am a retired Elevator Constructor, and am able to sit here in a nice house with a cold beer and write this! That pension check is the difference between a leaky single wide and white lightnin VRS a Yuengling and a shot of Glenlivet in a warm dry nice brick home.

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Union Pipefitter/Steamfitter here...

 

I don't consider myself a full time welder, but ever since I got my 6g pipe certs I feel like it. Its good to have a broad knowledge base, but damn if the work lately hasn't been almost all welding. I feel like I have to remind contractors that I have Valve Certifications, can pipe-fit, and do a good job with instrumentation tubing.

 

Look at what work is in the area. Going union has worked well for me, but it varies from area to area. If your local pipe-fitter hall hasn't managed themselves well they may have less than 10% of the industrial pipe work in the area. If theres not much industry in the area its worse. If your area doesn't have much industry and/or the local pipefitter hall has a small percentage of the work you might as well pack a bag and plan on being a traveller the rest of your life. Not bad while your single, but it gets old when you want a family.

 

If there is industry maybe a job working maintenance at a factory would be more beneficial.

 

it would help to know where your from...

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Not a welder, but do need them from time to time. Structural, piping, boiler tubes, casing's, parts repairs etc, lots of stuff to weld. You need to figure out were you want to work, inside, outside, underwater or all 3 folded up like a pretzel. But like the real welders said, get your certs, and GOB nailed the pension part.

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Speak your own mind and stay out of unions unless there's no choice. NO one can speak for you better than you can. Advance on your own merit, not based on years.

 

A lone man is easily bent over by a company in a cut-throat industry. Years are not where you speak for yourself in a trade union, skill and work ethic are.

 

Play your cards where your best chances are, Union or no.

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plus 1 on nailbomb , unless youre starting in mid or upper level management unions are the way to go for men and women who plan on making a living getting thier hands dirty in a blue collar workforce . youre single voice or opinion against the corporate machine will get you nothing besides fired . united with youre fellow workers you can collectively bargain for better working conditions and a higher standard of living for you and youre family . most naysayers are quick to point out union dues and they cry im not paying someone so i can work, on average union dues are around 30 to 40 dollars a month , whats a dollar a day when youre making 60-70 dollars an hour total package .most non union commercial construction based outfits are comprised of mostly illegal immagrants or unskilled laborors who they can bend over a stump for 10 or 15 dollars an hour with no benfits and then kick to the curb when they squeal ! if you can find a non union job that pays comparably to a union job by all means make that money. my only problem is with people that want to do the same work as i do for half the wage . once again best of luck regardless of which path you choose , UNITED WE STAND !!!

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I work electronics. I'm NOT management. I'm at the absolute top of my trade, and I got there on my own WITHOUT unions.

I've had experience with the IBEW and their thuggery, threatening my life and property. They can kiss my ass.

 

They're my bootstraps, and I use them to MY best advantage.

 

God help any union thug who tries to force me to join. It didn't work the 1st time, and it won't work if they dare to try again.

 

...and don't forget they donate HUGELY to the DNC, which is AGAINST the 2nd.

Edited by patriot
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the only union that i know of that has a senority board is the teamster,s , trade unions do not work that way . first youre a apprentice , then a journeyman , and if you become a foreman its beacause youve demonstrated youre apptitude ,leadership along with good work ethics . however this isnt always the case, no matter what industry youre in you can always find at least one jackoff that made it to the top of theyre trade riding on the backs of others hard work .

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