electricians [Archive] - Beyond.ca - Car Forums - Automotive Enthusiasts Community

redblack

01-10-2005, 09:09 PM

Im a journeyman electrician , currently working in fort mac at syncrude canada , make about 32 bucks an hour mon-thur, fridays is time and a half , sat and sunday is double time '

head down to the calgary IBEW 424 office and talk to the apprentice corodinator , his name is Ron Davis
3623 29th st ne
pm me for more info if you want

FiveFreshFish

01-10-2005, 10:04 PM

Originally posted by redblack
make about 32 bucks an hour mon-thur, fridays is time and a half , sat and sunday is double time

Just curious as to why they pay 1.5x on Friday.

Isn't that considered part of the normal work week, or are you putting in 10 hours a day Monday to Thursday?

redblack

01-10-2005, 10:59 PM

yeah its all 10 hour days up here

Barking_Spidre

01-11-2005, 06:50 PM

Originally posted by redblack
Im a journeyman electrician , currently working in fort mac at syncrude canada , make about 32 bucks an hour mon-thur, fridays is time and a half , sat and sunday is double time '

head down to the calgary IBEW 424 office and talk to the apprentice corodinator , his name is Ron Davis
3623 29th st ne
pm me for more info if you want

Wow, that sounds awesome. I went to the IBEW a while ago, but I don't have any experience, so once I'm done my SAIT course I'm going back.

Since you make 32 an hour up there, how much is the average for a journeyman down here?

redblack

01-11-2005, 08:08 PM

last time i checked which was spring last year
one residential company was at 23 bucks an hour
and my old commercial place was 27.50
but most places vary depending on the size of the company
but you got to also look at the benefits package too , some dont even offer one
with the ibew you dont pay nothing and its 90% covered

97GSR

01-13-2005, 11:55 PM

Originally posted by Barking_Spidre

Wow, that sounds awesome. I went to the IBEW a while ago, but I don't have any experience, so once I'm done my SAIT course I'm going back.

Since you make 32 an hour up there, how much is the average for a journeyman down here?

It's all about where you look and what type of electrical work you do. I was on the road making 30.25 as an industrial electrician. Since my wife is pregnant I decided to come back into Calgary and work around here doing commercial, which I was expecting to take a 3-4 dollar/hour hit. I ended up finding an industrial job manufacturing oil rigs for 30.28/hour.

If Ft.Mac isn't for you and you still want to make decent cash there are plenty of industrial skid shops around the city....it's not going to be 32/hour, but you are home every night.

paulsaddress5

01-17-2005, 05:55 PM

so if i did my calculations right if you were working with syncrude in fort mc murray, you would make $1280 from monday to thursday, 480 dollars on friday, and if you worked saturday you would make 640 if you worked 10 hours on saturday, that is 2400 a week, that is 4800 every 2 weeks, and 9600 dollars every month, i know this is before taxes but doesnt this seem like a whole hell of alot of money.

paulsaddress5

01-17-2005, 05:56 PM

doesnt syncrude pay for your hotel there also

redblack

01-17-2005, 08:44 PM

yep your calculations are correct , after cpp, IE , rrsps i get a check of a little over 1500 per week take home so , about 6000 a month. All union jobs ie: suncor , syncrude all provide room and board free of charge . Theres a huge shortage of labour up there so wages are higher

paulsaddress5

01-17-2005, 09:13 PM

holy fuckk:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

paulsaddress5

01-17-2005, 09:14 PM

do you like what you do or are u just there for the money

pyro

01-17-2005, 10:47 PM

wow looks like im heading in the right direction:thumbsup:

redblack

01-18-2005, 08:10 PM

i like the work , money is good , but the location sucks , cold winters and your not home every night.. the wage isnt really high , there are alot more professions out there that make a hell of alot more money than this. its a good place to start

Zero102

01-19-2005, 04:46 PM

Is there work up there in the summer?
I would be interested in going up. I'm going to be a 3rd year by this summer... that's a lot more money than I'm making now. Should I just head over to the IBEW office to ask about it?

redblack

01-19-2005, 08:25 PM

theres alot of work right now , since suncor had that big fire about 3 weeks ago , there scrambling like mad to get it repaired . But if your not already a member , it takes about a month to join so if you plan on going in the summer join in advance. Its worth it
believe me

Zero102

01-20-2005, 11:15 AM

Good point.
A lot of my friends left to join IBEW, but all of them said it was a terrible idea, you're only guaranteed a job for 2 weeks at a time, and you have to travel all over the place to work. Was this just bad luck for them?

I would be looking for work in the first week of May, so I better get my ass in rear gear and head over to IBEW maybe late march?

Just wondering, what kind of work is it? Is it all industrial?
Is it construction, or maintenance?...

Zero102

01-20-2005, 11:18 AM

redblack

01-21-2005, 08:01 PM

the work is mainly industrial and mostly new construction. as to the duration of the work , it depends on what kind of call you take and the job itself. I took a one month call for syncrude in jan 2003 and i have been there ever since. But if you planning to go work in may, the jobsite at syncrude is suppose to get finished winter 05 , or spring 06 , so you should be able to get a good 6-8 months in. And theres suppose to be lots more work coming up this year. Oh and you get free transportation up here on a diversified bus (like a greyhound bus).
hope this helps

danno

01-21-2005, 11:07 PM

i'm a first year going to school at end of feb. you have to bite the bullit for the first 2 or 3 years, cause you won't make that much money. but after that you will be good. my journeyman makes 26 doing residential but he says it's lower than bigger companies. there's only 4 of us working. i'll be leaving this company when i'm out of school. gotta learn commercial all the pipe bending and stuff. good career so far. how's school treating everyone??? pretty hard??? anyone work at custom???

VP CRX SiR

01-21-2005, 11:17 PM

Yah, i just started the PACT program at the IBEW 424 in Edmonton. After it finishes in 8 weeks, i begin my first year with a placement by them. The new coordinator is Ray Matthews in Edmonton. They are hopin to place us (10 of us out of a list of around 125 people that tried to get into it) with commercial companies, but im sure most are heading north to fort mac

Zero102

01-21-2005, 11:38 PM

I would just be looking for summer work, so that sounds perfect. I get out of university in the end of April, and I start the first week of September. Allow a week of time to get my life back in order, and I am planning to work the rest of the summer.
Working 6-7 days a week, and 10 hours days doesn't bother me, so this sounds like the perfect opportunity to make some serious coin. I'm tired of frickin hanging lights. I have lots of experience bending pipe and such, I guess that's a good thing for this job?

Can a guy with commercial experience get by on an industrial site?...

redblack

01-22-2005, 12:00 AM

i had about 3 years commercial and 6 months residential. Industrial is fairly easy work. Different crews have different task. for example , you can br on a wire pulling crew, fibre optics crew, telephone, tray/conduit (all rigid pipe) crew, terminatoou alsors, high voltage. Its pretty diverse. and the schedule is 4 days on , 3 days off . But theres overtime. you dont have to work it if you dont want too. You also need to get your csts before you can go on a jobsite

Zero102

01-22-2005, 11:33 AM

Have CSTS, First aid, etc, the only one I don't have is H2S.

Ugh, Rigid pipe... I have had one experience with it, and I hate it :)

I think I would get by alright up there.
I'm curious, it was mentioned that the union jobs provide accomidations. Are they shared accomidations?...

On a bit of a side track, what percentage of people smoke up there?...
I'm a non-smoker, and I rather hate the smell of smokers...

redblack

01-22-2005, 08:03 PM

csts and first aid is good to have , h2s you dont need, only in some areas of the plant but they will provide training for it.
as for accomidations , it depends on which job you are on. You get your own room and stuff. a cleaner comes around everyday to clean it for you. Some older camps have shared bathrooms

There is no smoking on site except in designated areas and there only permitted to smoke on coffee /lunch breaks

Zero102

01-22-2005, 10:56 PM

Good. If I go up, I would plan to bring my G/F with me, so perhaps I would have to find my own place to live, not a big deal. The accomidations sound pretty cool though, as long as they're not the size of a closet.

Curious, but do they have high speed internet there? I know Fort Mac has a fibre line going to it...
It would suck if they don't :)

pyro

01-24-2005, 08:35 PM

well i got accepted into SAIT today for pre-employment electrician:D

danno

01-24-2005, 09:16 PM

does the pre employment get you anything, other than knowledge. or does it give you future credit, if you want to answer did you have to pay for the full price. like 3 grand?? if your a apprentice the goverment covers it and you only have to pay 750, and my boss pays for school anyway. just wondering. anyone else in first year in march thru april????

redblack

01-25-2005, 08:23 PM

Originally posted by danno
does the pre employment get you anything, other than knowledge. or does it give you future credit,

if you pass you finish as a second year , i believe

pyro

01-25-2005, 09:32 PM

ya at the end u can challenge ur first year

danno

01-25-2005, 09:57 PM

you would have to have the work experience to. so you would come out of school and still be a first year but once you finish your 1200 hours then you would be a second year. right?? or at then end of your work experience you would then be able to challage first year with the test??

97GSR

01-30-2005, 02:23 AM

Originally posted by danno
you would have to have the work experience to. so you would come out of school and still be a first year but once you finish your 1200 hours then you would be a second year. right?? or at then end of your work experience you would then be able to challage first year with the test??

That all depends on the company...some will pay you at your educated level and some will not. Technically they don't have to though so don't expect it. I was never in a rush to go to school before I got my hours as I didn't really see the point...except for if you do back-to-back sessions.

X_plorer

02-03-2005, 10:13 AM

Just a heads up if you want to work in Fort McMurray, you also have to pass a drug and alcohol test before they will hire you. If you fail they won't hire you for another 3 months I think or until you retest clean. I Just know for some of the calls like 20 people take them but only 3 or 4 will pass the test and actually go up.

Zero102

02-03-2005, 10:38 AM

That's insane! How can so many people fail?...
I wouldn't want drugged up drunk electricians working anywhere...

Not something I have to worry about. Drug-free, and I hardly ever drink.

Just don't eat poppy seed bagels before the test ;)

X_plorer

02-03-2005, 12:15 PM

Thats why my BF gets so mad, he says all the pot smokers get caught because it stays in your system so long and he gets stuck working with all the crack heads because they can stop using for a few days, test clean and go to work. He was also saying if you trip and fall on the worksite they can send you into town for a re-test(if you pass you get paid the whole day). Might seem crazy but I guess drugs can be quite a problem when you are working out of town making a bunch of money...

Zero102

02-03-2005, 03:19 PM

Damn crack heads. Maybe I don't want to go up there. I wouldn't feel safe working with crack heads.

Then again, I don't want to work with people who are smoking pot either.

X_plorer

02-03-2005, 03:35 PM

Well I don't think they are doing it while they work, but when you are home for weekends etc... I mean all it takes is to smoke up two months ago when you out with friends and you could potentially not be hired. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of good guys up there who really know their stuff and work hard.

Barking_Spidre

02-03-2005, 04:52 PM

Originally posted by pyro
well i got accepted into SAIT today for pre-employment electrician:D

When do you start? I start April 1st for mine.

pyro

02-03-2005, 08:23 PM

i dont think i start until after summer

danno

02-04-2005, 05:27 PM

just a heads up for those who are apprentices. you can get student assistance. i am filling out the paper work today. they will give you around $700 if you qualify. not to sure what you need to qualify but might as well give it a shot.

frostyda9

02-04-2005, 07:04 PM

Well I might as well check in to this thread. I'm a journeyman electrican working in Calgary. Some of you are amazed at the money redblack made, but it's not that uncommon. I would say most city electricians are more in the 50-60k range though. To get past the coveted 6 figure mark you're probably looking at out of town work, and lots of OT.

To anyone starting an apprenticeship, my advice would be to vary your experience as much as possible between residential, commercial, and industrial. I'd also say get on the school ASAP, the tuition is getting jacked up almost every year it seems.

It's a pretty decent line of work, the only thing that may or may not bother you is the "construction worker" stigma that some people attach to it. Personally, I'd rather be out in the field than getting fat behind a desk any day
:thumbsup:

redblack

02-04-2005, 09:30 PM

frostyda9 is absolutly correct. new apprentices should get experience in all 3 fields . And dont take too long with school
alot of apprentices take 5-6 years to complete the apprenticeship, thats just foolish. You lose too much money

By the way the union pays for your tuition when you go to sait/nait as long as you complete the required course in the union hall

1st year - first aid
2nd year - conduit bending
3rd year - high voltage
4th year - hoisting and rigging

they cost about 70 buck but when you complete them , you get the 70 back

5hift

02-06-2005, 01:02 PM

Since all the people on here know their stuff about electrical work I got a question for you:

Im developing my basement, and most the hard electrical work is done, just alot of ports and outlets just need to be moved around and some pot lights installed and easy, time consuming stuff like that. My Dad would be doing it if he wasnt so busy and I have no idea what Im doing and no time to even try to learn. Its probably only a day or twos worth of work, yet the quote from the same guys who did our whole house seems to be very high. If anyone here knows how to do any of this stuff and wants to make some easy cash for a weekends worth of work or something pm me and i'll give a detailed description of everything that needs to be done.

X_plorer

02-07-2005, 11:58 AM

My BF just got a tenative schedule for working in Fort Mac, 10 days on/10 hours per day and then four days off for the rest of the year....on the nightshift too. Would an electrician in the city doing residential still make 50-60K per year? My BF never really worked residential, he does some jobs on the side but all the money and work seems to be in commercial, industrial/high voltage.

frostyda9

02-07-2005, 02:16 PM

Originally posted by X_plorer
Would an electrician in the city doing residential still make 50-60K per year?

The majority of companies are paying in the $26/hr range or better, and you can add 10% vacation to that. 26+2.60=28.60 X 40 hours a week X 52 weeks = $59,488 collecting vacation pay and taking no holidays. Using your holiday pay to take vacations @paid straight time, $54,080. Obviously there's going to be a missed or extra day here and there or some overtime, but it's just a rough calculation.

I hope it works out for your bf. Working like that is hard on relationships, as many people can attest to. Still, 100hrs. every 2 weeks should make it worthwhile financially. :)

X_plorer

02-07-2005, 04:25 PM

He has worked out of town before, but if he finishes the rest of year out in Fort McMurray, he is going to owe me. Owe me one big shiney ring-3 months salary baby! Just kidding, I preferred him making in-town rates and being home every night too. I guess you have to sacrifice to get ahead and work the hours while they are there. How do the homebuilders around here pay? By the hour or is it by the completed house? I always thought it was by how many houses you wired.

Zero102

02-07-2005, 06:33 PM

The homebuilders pay by the house, but it's up to the company that is contracted to do it regarding how the electricians are paid. If you work with Zephyr or companies like that, I think it's by the house, but with Majestic, it's by the hour. At least that's how it was when I worked with them.

100 hours every 2 weeks isn't that much. I used to work 58 hours a week. I thought up at fort mac, you would work 60+ hours a week. I thought that's why the pay was so much. I was getting ready to make a huge change in the way of hours, but I guess it's not that different.

X_plorer

02-08-2005, 12:28 PM

Well it is 100 hours in 10 days so only 50 hours a week. I guess the difference in pay comes from the time and half and double time on the one weekend you work during those ten days plus the overtime for anything past X amount of hours per day etc... not quite sure what the union has contracted for them up there. I dont' know if you would really want to squeeze anymore hours in a day working, by the time you get back to you room, eat, shower, sleep and eat again it is time to get on the bus and go back to work. My BF has only ever worked a max of 12 hours per day up there-he worked more hours per day during the stampede when he was there. There might be more hours coming up because they are trying to get the damage from that fire fixed.

Zero102

02-08-2005, 05:06 PM

100 hours in 10 days, so 10 hours a day. That's pretty much the norm in all the electrical jobs I've had, except that I'd usually work 5 10 hour days, 1 8 hour day, 1 day off, instead of 10 10 hour days straight. I think you're right about where the pay difference comes from. After the first 40 hours in the first week, you're into time and a half, and on sundays, I hear it's double time. So, if you start on a monday, you'll get 40 hours by the end of thursday, then effectively get 15 hours on both friday and saturday, then 20 hours on sunday, or 90 hours in the one week. That's pretty good cash :) Add the 10% holiday pay, and you're pretty much at 100 hours a week for the first week. Is this right?
Of course the next week is only 30 hours, (plus 10%) so it's all straight time. So if I'm right, you should get 132 hours pay for 2 weeks of work, with 4 days off. Now I get why everybody is going up there.

This sounds alright. 264 hours pay a month, working less hours than I did before (232 hours/month). I'm just hoping industrial work isn't that different or that much harder than what I've done in the past.

Sounds pretty cool so far!

X_plorer

02-08-2005, 05:54 PM

I'm pretty sure its harder work since you are working with industrial size cable, wire, power, heights etc... If you go up for a while just be sure you take a vacation, I find sometimes with my BF because he gets vacation pay and not time off he equates vacation with losing lots of money for every week he is off. "Well if we go to BC for a week and a half thats $4500.00 I miss out on.." etc.... so he figures it costs him money to go on vacation plus it costs him lost wages(when it really doesn't because of vacation pay) but you can see what I am getting at.

redblack

02-08-2005, 08:17 PM

actually its much easier work. sure the equiptment is alot bigger but you use machines to help you out for cables. Everything is safed out (locked out) when you work on any power from 12 volts to 600 volts. working at heights you MUST wear a full safety harness and be tied off at all times to reduce injury when falling.

If your working on a UNION job its time and a half fridays
double time on sat and sun

There are NON UNION shops up here who may not pay that
:thumbsdow :guns:

danno

02-16-2005, 05:25 PM

hey what's up just got laid off, but got a job the same day working for custom electric. pretty pumped working dowtown, just off the river.

Inthered

03-07-2005, 11:08 PM

Congrats Danno!

Redblack, how do they treat the 1st years up in Fort Mac? I have about 6 months experience for Amelco, working in all 3 kinds of sites. I've bent pipe, wired up townhouses, and condo's. I'm on the multi crew.

I seriously need to make some more money, and Amelco doesn't seem like a very good place to stay long term.

NBER

03-22-2005, 04:48 PM

Hey guys....I've been thinking alot about getting into the electrical trade...however have a few questions. Firstly, is it absolutely necessary to take a pre-employment course or is it pretty easy to find someone to take on an apprentice out in Alberta or BC. I'm from New Brunswick and apprenticeships are not that easy to come by. Also, if it is important to take a pre-employment course is it actually necessary to go to college or would a home study course be valid enough. Wife is 3 months pregnant can't afford to go back to school full time. I have a computer systems technician course from community college which we touched on electronics and circuits and stuff....would this be enough to say i have some knowledge? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

X_plorer

03-22-2005, 07:15 PM

Originally posted by NBER
Hey guys....I've been thinking alot about getting into the electrical trade...however have a few questions. Firstly, is it absolutely necessary to take a pre-employment course or is it pretty easy to find someone to take on an apprentice out in Alberta or BC. I'm from New Brunswick and apprenticeships are not that easy to come by. Also, if it is important to take a pre-employment course is it actually necessary to go to college or would a home study course be valid enough. Wife is 3 months pregnant can't afford to go back to school full time. I have a computer systems technician course from community college which we touched on electronics and circuits and stuff....would this be enough to say i have some knowledge? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

I dont' think you would have an issue getting someone to take you on as an apprentice out West. You can check the union website http://www.ibew424.net/ and they have a spot "jobs online" and you can see what calls are out there(I'm not saying join the union but you can at least see what is here for work-they list all their calls) I think SAIT here offers the preemployment course but they are pricey and I am sure you could find work here as a first year...

Xtrema

03-22-2005, 09:27 PM

About Ft. Mac,

It's like -50 everyday between Oct and Feb.

Black flies will kill you in summer.

The whole mine area looks like that hell hole from LOTR.

You are there for money, not a life. Remember that.

I don't work in this field but IT System analyst that are willing to work up that get's about 1.5 to 2 times of average pay in Calgary. There should be some perks like traveling expenses and you probably can live in the dorm/complex.

If you want to live in a house, I've heard that the shortage caused the market to inflat like crazy. It's like 1/4 mil for a trailer home.

There are a lot of housing project as well but they don't pay as good as oil companies.

Inthered

04-24-2005, 08:54 PM

Originally posted by Inthered
Congrats Danno!

Redblack, how do they treat the 1st years up in Fort Mac? I have about 6 months experience for Amelco, working in all 3 kinds of sites. I've bent pipe, wired up townhouses, and condo's. I'm on the multi crew.

I seriously need to make some more money, and Amelco doesn't seem like a very good place to stay long term.

Bump to the top for my previous question. I don't like change that much, so I'm a bit uneasy about going up there.

redblack

04-27-2005, 07:15 PM

sup inthered
Aprrentices are treated pretty good
theres usually a ratio of 2 journeyman to 1 apprentice
in some cases 1 to 1
its not like working in the city where there might be 4-5 apprentices to one journeyman.
And they try pair an apprentice to an older more experience journeyman.
you should really go talk to an organizer at the union hall
i believe they have an open house night every thursday.

danno

04-29-2005, 08:38 PM

schools done, happy to be back making good money again. if anyone is looking for work custom is super busy right now so head on down. i'm back at the same site i was at before school, and i like it.
in town i believe it has to be 1-3, journeyman to apprentices.
on my site it's 3 journeyman 2 apprentices. lots to learn from

Kobe

04-29-2005, 11:30 PM

My buddy was doing it for a while, but he couldn't stand getting up at 5 and 6am..

danno

04-30-2005, 12:19 PM

yeah i'm up just before 6, start work at 7 and i'm off just after 3. it's a little hard but you get use to it. it's all about the money.

paulsaddress5

04-30-2005, 07:45 PM

do you think there will be alot of work for electricians in the future, cause im thinkin of openin up a elec. business after i get out of school in about 6 years, any info would be helpful.

Kobe

04-30-2005, 10:12 PM

Originally posted by paulsaddress5
do you think there will be alot of work for electricians in the future, cause im thinkin of openin up a elec. business after i get out of school in about 6 years, any info would be helpful.

Calgary is growing like crazy, and i don't think it will stop growing any time soon, so there will probobly always be business..

HuMz

05-01-2005, 02:52 PM

so it seems like most electricians are looking at 25-30$ a hour in the city, but is there any room for advancement in salary and if so how much do you ussually cap out around

97GSR

05-01-2005, 03:33 PM

Originally posted by HuMz
so it seems like most electricians are looking at 25-30$ a hour in the city, but is there any room for advancement in salary and if so how much do you ussually cap out around

Most companies will give everyone a raise every 1-2 years or so...although some won't give one at all. Regarding the pay, don't forget that it takes at least 4 years to get to top wage, starting electricians only make 50% of journeyman wage. The company I work for is in the upper spectrum when it comes to pay, but expect to only make $12-14/hour at first.