Should I Go Union Or Stick With Big Drywall Company???

 
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Old 12-23-2008, 06:02 PM   #1
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Should I Go Union Or Stick With Big Drywall Company???


Hi, I currently work hourly for a big company in pittsburgh ($16/hr). my dad is a sub and he gets the footage rate (16.75/ft).. all we do is hanging, we can and have hung it all, extreme home makeovers with ty pennington to 45,000 sq ft. houses with about 125 sheets of 1/4 in them. what im saying is im 22 and i see all these illegals coming in and lowering prices throughout the country and with the economy the future doesnt look too good to me. Would i be better off joining the carpenters union and taking a pay cut (12.50/hr) while im an apprentice, and then once i finished that i would be around 20/hr and 27/hr max over time. but if i stuck with this company and got footage, i could probably make close to 60-70k/year. Im just not sure what to do and looking for advice on the future of drywall. I wanna believe that if your a good hanger and can do anything no matter how hard it is and can do it fast then i should be ok no matter what but im just not sure. Thanks for the advice.

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Old 12-23-2008, 06:30 PM   #2
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Re: Should I Go Union Or Stick With Big Drywall Company???


well this is something you should discuss with your wife. ask yourself a bunch of questions see if it becomes more clear such as do you plan on staying in this trade, do you want maybe a little less pay but with higher job security or do you want no job security with possibly higher rewards, does your wife have benfits at her job ?? why pay for benefits twice you and her if your already covered under one or the other .
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Old 12-23-2008, 06:40 PM   #3
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Re: Should I Go Union Or Stick With Big Drywall Company???


im only 22 not married..... yet
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Old 12-23-2008, 06:52 PM   #4
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Re: Should I Go Union Or Stick With Big Drywall Company???


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im only 22 not married..... yet
Then now is the time!
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Old 12-23-2008, 07:02 PM   #5
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Re: Should I Go Union Or Stick With Big Drywall Company???


try over here as well:

http://www.i-boards.com/bnp/wc/
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Old 12-23-2008, 07:03 PM   #6
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Re: Should I Go Union Or Stick With Big Drywall Company???


You may want to try your question over here as well:

http://www.i-boards.com/bnp/wc/
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Old 12-23-2008, 07:04 PM   #7
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Re: Should I Go Union Or Stick With Big Drywall Company???


echo
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Old 12-23-2008, 08:30 PM   #8
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Re: Should I Go Union Or Stick With Big Drywall Company???


Groundzero,

I would stay away from unions. 87%+ of all people in the trades are NON-UNION. They primarily rely on PLA's to survive because they can't compete otherwise
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Old 12-23-2008, 08:53 PM   #9
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Re: Should I Go Union Or Stick With Big Drywall Company???


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Groundzero,

87%+ of all people in the trades are NON-UNION. They primarily rely on PLA's to survive because they can't compete otherwise
The 87%+ also rely on illegals because they can't compete otherwise
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Old 12-23-2008, 08:57 PM   #10
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Re: Should I Go Union Or Stick With Big Drywall Company???


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The 87%+ also rely on illegals because they can't compete otherwise
glad you caught your mathematical error
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Old 12-23-2008, 09:17 PM   #11
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Re: Should I Go Union Or Stick With Big Drywall Company???


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glad you caught your mathematical error
What 'chu talkin' bout Willis!


There is no Last edited by Celtic; Today at 8:54 PM. Reason: Mathematical Error on that post
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Old 12-23-2008, 09:38 PM   #12
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Re: Should I Go Union Or Stick With Big Drywall Company???


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The 87%+ also rely on illegals because they can't compete otherwise


Like I said, the union membership is dwindling bigtime:



Unions want to bring illegal immigrants into fold
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pb...NESS/607190541



Unions Urge Amnesty For Illegal Immigrants
Legalized workers would be easier for labor to organize
by Steven Greenhouse






Organizing Migrants and Illegals in Toledo


AFL-CIO Boss John Sweeney visited Toledo recently to march with 500 migrant workers rallying for amnesty of illegal aliens. The AFL-CIO Boss brought with him $60,000 in workers’ forced-dues money to give to the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC). FLOC is moving beyond Ohio and North Carolina in hopes of organizing migrant farm workers in Georgia, South Carolina, and elsewhere, which could at least double its membership of 11,000.
In a speech, Sweeney called Congress’ efforts to secure America’s borders as “more than shameful.” In fact, Sweeney said the building of a fence to keep illegal aliens out of the country was “an international disgrace.” It appears that the way Sweeney looks at the world, every illegal alien stopped at the border is a new dues-paying member of the AFL-CIO — illegal or not.



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Old 12-23-2008, 09:42 PM   #13
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Re: Should I Go Union Or Stick With Big Drywall Company???


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What 'chu talkin' bout Willis!


There is no Last edited by Celtic; Today at 8:54 PM. Reason: Mathematical Error on that post
character is all about how a man acts when there is no proof, but he knows the truth
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Old 12-23-2008, 11:29 PM   #14
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Re: Should I Go Union Or Stick With Big Drywall Company???


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character is all about how a man acts when there is no proof, but he knows the truth
The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.
- Samuel Johnson
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Old 12-24-2008, 02:04 AM   #15
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Re: Should I Go Union Or Stick With Big Drywall Company???


you will have to do some soul searching...think about the future of the union, and eventually they all will be non union. If you stick with the old man..you will have a name for yourself, and be better set when union d day comes....but also ask your self, is this reallly what i want to do, because it is subject to good and slow times..
I was union in a sawmill up till Aug 08, then gave it all to them to run my own company...but i worked 7 days a week for 5 years prior to make the business survive, so that i could draw a wage..but i had to sacerfice time with my kids etc...you dont have that yet, but now may be the time.

just my 2c

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Old 12-24-2008, 02:14 AM   #16
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Re: Should I Go Union Or Stick With Big Drywall Company???


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The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.
- Samuel Johnson
as well as I treat you, I must measure quite well
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Old 12-24-2008, 05:12 AM   #17
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Re: Should I Go Union Or Stick With Big Drywall Company???


Quote:
Originally Posted by groundzero2121 View Post
Hi, I currently work hourly for a big company in pittsburgh ($16/hr). my dad is a sub and he gets the footage rate (16.75/ft).. all we do is hanging, we can and have hung it all, extreme home makeovers with ty pennington to 45,000 sq ft. houses with about 125 sheets of 1/4 in them. what im saying is im 22 and i see all these illegals coming in and lowering prices throughout the country and with the economy the future doesnt look too good to me. Would i be better off joining the carpenters union and taking a pay cut (12.50/hr) while im an apprentice, and then once i finished that i would be around 20/hr and 27/hr max over time. but if i stuck with this company and got footage, i could probably make close to 60-70k/year. Im just not sure what to do and looking for advice on the future of drywall. I wanna believe that if your a good hanger and can do anything no matter how hard it is and can do it fast then i should be ok no matter what but im just not sure. Thanks for the advice.
avoid the union unless you have connections there. You will be laid off and hustling or waiting for work more than working.
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Old 12-24-2008, 03:10 PM   #18
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Re: Should I Go Union Or Stick With Big Drywall Company???


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as well as I treat you, I must measure quite well

I'm heading south in about an hour....are my pies paid for at DO?
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Old 12-24-2008, 03:12 PM   #19
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Re: Should I Go Union Or Stick With Big Drywall Company???


I don't know how strong the union is where you are but...
The Carpenters Union offers benefits.
Retirement.
Vacation.
Health.
Training.
Great wages.
You hang houses? What if all the residential goes down? You know how to hang CoreBoard? Lead Board? Demountable partitions? Frame metal studs? Acoustic ceilings?
Working non union wacking houses and you'll never learn the above or have the benefits. It's a no brainer.
Here in Portland guys that hang houses make $15 if they have work. At the moment all that seems to be going on is commercial, here. Now, non union commercial guys are making $20 tops without benefits, at all. But, most if not all commercial work in Portland is union at the moment. Union guys are making $33.14 and add the benefits it's $44.70.
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Old 12-24-2008, 10:35 PM   #20
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Re: Should I Go Union Or Stick With Big Drywall Company???


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IYou hang houses? What if all the residential goes down? You know how to hang CoreBoard? Lead Board? Demountable partitions? Frame metal studs? Acoustic ceilings?
Working non union wacking houses and you'll never learn the above or have the benefits. It's a no brainer.

You get benefits, training and a lot more working NON-UNION as well:


http://www.abc.org/
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