What Would You Do? Company Issues. Union Electrician/traffic Signal Program

CNC

so i started out a few years ago working for a non union resedential electrical contractor, learned alot, nothing but top quality work, and employees, small crew 5 trucks. 10 guys, mom and pop owned. i just got to a point where i wanted more education and experience and i felt i had the residential thing under my belt.
I found a company that specializes in traffic signal maintance and needed employees. they liked my resume and i went to work. They had just gone union, and they sent me to the hall literally just to sign papers, and pay dues and i was in. no tests, no interviews. which was diffrent from what i had thought was normal. but my union title on my card is "traffic signal maintance technician" and its an outside line local. Now i liked it at first, getting to do diffrent things, but the fun had worn off and i am realizing the big picture at almost a year at the company now and need to make a decision.

good things/ pros:
company truck i take home.
provided tools.
freedom/ limited supervision
school/education
good pay.

bad things/ cons:
my schooling is wierd, it seems to be a wierd contract the company had negociated with a local hall. im a traffic signal maintance technician, i go to school once a month, on a saturday, for 8 hours. our teacher is an employee of our company, but on school days an employee of the schooling program.
There are NO other contractors in this local that are involved in the same program, they are all outside lineman. there are no futures plans for additional contractors to be on the same program. so i cant rotate, i cant switch companys, because they are the only company.
i havent worked on traffic signals hardly at all, i do private lighting (street and parking lot lights, building lights, maintnance. every now and again the compnay will pick up a construction job, and throw us out there, and pretend everyone has skills other then just changing light bulbs and ballasts (like most guys have done for years, and thats it) i have prior contruction experience so i know right from wrong and get frustrated with the other couple of guys i work with. my supervisor is the only one i can learn from, and he usually leaves us un attended.
heres my delema i am bending over backwards for the union schooling which covers pretty much just traffic signals and safety and havent done anything but changed light bulbs, and ballastss, and sometimes small projects, that i can handle but the other guys cant, so half the jobs are hacked.
the one good thing is at the end of the 3 year program, i will be making $37.00 and hour, and be able to take the IMSA level tests for traffic signals and become certified. but i dont see me getting any field time, because my boss finds me valuable on private accounts.
would it be worth it to stay and get certified in IMSA, does anyone have any traffic sigal experience? My problem is the whole contract is fishy and im not working within my scope of work described on my contract, and i feel like im wasting my time going to school and reading once a month about stuff i dont work on. is the IMSA level certifications valuable?
the main thing is they promise this, and that, if we finish the program, BUT what happens if i get laid off, and im not done with the program. i have no on site hours with sigals and just read about them. it isnt a typical union program they say its "one of a kind" and i think its just a pay off deal so we have union cards to flash so we dont get hassled by other locals cause the company is so big. sorry for the rant, if you can make sense of it, i need to figure out if i should go somehwere else worth while, or stay.

mdshunk

To me, it mainly seems like you're bored. I feel for you, because I've left most every place of employment I ever worked at for that reason. My advice... bide your time until you get your cert and see what doors that can open up for you. I think quitting halfway to your cert, even though you havn't actually worked on the things, would be the wrong thing to do.

Just my opinion. Take it or leave it.

mickeyco

You're bored, get yourself one of these things, hours of fun:

__________________
Some people climb mountains. I take out the trash. But we both do it for the same reason.

Magnettica

Stay right where you're at.

School + education = good pay like you mentioned previously.

__________________
Electrician service in Rahway, Cranford, Clark, Westfield, Mountainside, Scotch Plains, Fanwood, Roselle, Roselle Park, and New Jersey | Same day electrical service and repairs | Licensed and Insured Electrician in Rahway

CNC

yea ill probably ride it out. it just gets tough when your supervisor literally leave it up to you, and you dont have anyone to look answer your questions or teach you. it was good at the beggining, but i dont want to hurt myself in the long run and not get the skills i could from smarter guys. its always been that way with me and sports ive done, play or ride with guys that are better, and you progress faster, pick up tricks faster. when im the best, and i work with a bunch of monkeys, its tough to progress when you have to be an apprentice and baby sit apprentices 10 years older then i am. ill see what happens. your right i am bored.

Celtic

Take the schooling.
In a few years, become their competition.

__________________