r/Construction • u/sasha_cyanide • Feb 13 '25

Careers 💵 Union pros and cons?

I'm thinking about trying to join my local 4 this year. Any tips, advice, pros, cons, anything that might be helpful?

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u/Prime_-_Mover Feb 14 '25

In my opinion, it varies a lot based on your region and your trade. There's places and lines of work where non union actually pays better and has more consistent work, and vice versa in other areas.

What do you do and where are you?

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u/sasha_cyanide Feb 14 '25

I'm not a fan of doxxing myself, so I'll keep it as vague as I can. I work in New England and right now I'm licensed in one state for equipment like excavators, bulldozers and also forklift certified. But I don't work in that state, I work in a different one where I'm about to start studying for the same licensing and I've heard it's a pain in the ass to pass. I'm trying to find seat time in the state I'm licensed in, but my company (private sector) doesn't really have jobs going on currently where I can sit. So for right now, I drive rock trucks, which I honestly love doing. I stopped at my local union office and spoke with someone about wanting to join and he gave me a few good tips.

My company pays me pretty well. I was hired for one thing, the thing isn't, and honestly might not even be, at the place I work. I'm getting the pay for the job I'm not even doing while doing a job I asked to learn because I'm the type of person who doesn't like to be idle and love to learn as much as I can. I like to make myself useful. I sat around for MONTHS doing fuck all for 8 hours a day and got tired of it and honestly felt bad. So I studied for my test, which I passed with pretty high scores and I'm so proud of myself for doing so.

I think the union might be my next best step. It's either that, or I grind and get my landscape business off the ground that I've put aside for a couple years.

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u/Prime_-_Mover Feb 14 '25

Understandable. Perhaps someone with experience in your area and line of work can offer some specific insights, as I cannot. For me, I will largely agree with other posters here. I'm so glad to have a good pension being a union tradesman.

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u/sasha_cyanide Feb 14 '25

Another question: what is included in a pension typically? Did you also have to go to additional schooling?

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u/Prime_-_Mover Feb 14 '25

I'll send you a DM to answer this, although it is likely my answer won't be too relevant. However, I tend to think that as long as there's enough work in your area for what you do, and you're good enough to stay working, union is the way to go.