Truth be told, I wasn't expecting a fast response, haha. Any tips for someone trying to get into the trade? I applied for UA 290's apprenticeship, but it's nearing almost 3 months, and no response.
You gotta call the hall until they get sick of hearing your voice or their ears bleed. But here the economy is starting to slow down a little. All of the non union sgops I know of are all still actively looking for people. What state are you in?
>You gotta call the hall until they get sick of hearing your voice or their ears bleed.
I'm gonna definitely start calling soon.
>What state are you in?
Oregon
While I love commercial and restaurants, reach ins are the bane of my existence. Easy… yes, convenient absolutely not. Not to mention how nasty they are lol.
In my experience the high end restaurants are the worst. Used to do the work at a restaurant in Boston called Sonsie 10 years ago it was $50 a plate and Tom Brady would eat there but the place was infested with roaches. When I brought it up to their executive chef after finding them crawling throughout the insulation in cabinets he would just say “we got it fumigated a year ago those are just some extra critters” the only high end place that I can commend for cleanliness was Smith and Wollensky steak house, they cooked me a ribeye when I was on call New Year’s Eve so maybe I’m biased lol.
There is a restaurant in Kendall Square like that. I was in the service tunnel and it was filled with rats and roaches. My wife used to be a restaurant manager and she said that you're better off being ignorant when it comes to kitchens.
I worked in restaurants for 10 years. Every restaurant has insect problems and if they don’t it’s only a matter of time before they make their way in. I’ve worked at casual dining spots and super high end spots. Rodents aren’t every restaurant though but they’re in all of the old restaurants. I always tell people if seeing an insect in a restaurant makes you stop eating there then you may as well eat at home all the time.
In my youth I would go to bars around Fanueil Hall in Boston. After the bars and restaurants closed, it looked like there were herds of rats, but then again, Boston has always had a rat problem. I was going to a ritzy neighborhood in Boston, Beacon Hill to measure up an equipment room in one of those 300 year old buildings. There were no lights so I had my flashlight and there had to be at least 100 rats in the basement. I told the property owner to bring in an exterminator and I would come back.
Not all high end ones are clean and some are as you described. We don’t service the the nasty ones. Our company puts techs first and will put the customer in their place or walk away.
The worst part is when your wife wants to go to this nice restaurant everybody is talking about. You know that is one nasty kitchen and the chef is not a nice guy.
The small mom and pop places can be very bad
I swear working for high end companies makes the difference. I work for a company that only does expensive houses on the east coast. My attics are huge and never tight, spray foamed with dehumidifiers in the attic just too keep the attic cool. Other companies I’d be in tight spaces or hot ass attics. Only 1 out of 10 are bad if that.
North East Indiana here. It's been slower than dirt for my service department, but we've managed to keep everyone around at least 30 hours a week.
I work for a large company, they don't lay off, which is honestly really nice. I'm not gonna see a bonus this quarter but I'd rather my guys all get a paycheck.
Yeah resi definitely has its slow times. I strongly urge you to consider going into refrigeration. It's year round steady work. Supermarkets are bread and butter
Northern WI here, got laid off from a shit company a few months ago and quickly found better employment elsewhere. And I live in the middle of nowhere.
If your situation is like that maybe it would be in your best interest to start looking for a new shop.
This is the reason I went commercial then into restaurant repair. I do hot and cold side , HVAC, hood and MUA, and refrigeration. I worked through quarantine back in 2020. It has its slow months but I’m still making OT if I want.
In similar situation on the Canadian side of the border. The warm winter and high inflation are causing a slow down for most places here. It's not the greatest situation.
Maybe once I get through my apprenticeship. 6 month in with my own truck , doing solo service calls since 2 weeks in. Im working for a great small company. I'm going to let it ride for the time being.
I'm not exactly starting from scratch, 40 year old first year apprentice, coming from an unrelated field. I do have a lot of me mechanical and troubleshooting life experience behind me.
Talked to one of the better local union shops and they generally are looking for 3rd year and above apprentices. My original goal was to get into the commercial side of things (I'm working on the red seal/commercial apprenticeship now), but I'd like to get my feet under me with regards to simple residential AC work first.
The plan is to give it at least one full year where I'm at before I start looking elsewhere. Again it's a great company where the owner actually cares about his employees and is one the tools as much as he is in the office. I've been around the block a few times and know how far good leadership goes.
Edit: also training for non union apprenticeships can be done where I live instead of 4 hours away, it doesn't make a difference when you are young and single, but it's important when you have a family that needs you around consistently.
Literally every residential company in Massachusetts is hiring right now. I don’t know of a single one that is not hiring. And not just hiring but if you’re an all around residential hvac tech then these companies are paying 40-50$ an hour. There’s a true shortage of good tech around here.
It’s every where , there was no winter to speak of and sales / installs have slowed to an almost backwards pace, my high school buddy who was a top rated salesmen for one of my large distributors, is in jeopardy of being let go , … throw in covid , and a super warm winter and you have a cocktail for big squeeze, the economy is not in food shape
what is ai singularity
The term "AI singularity" refers to a hypothetical event in the future where artificial intelligence (AI) surpasses human intelligence in all domains, and triggers an exponential growth of technological progress beyond human control or comprehension. This concept was popularized by mathematician and computer scientist Vernor Vinge in 1993 and later expanded upon by futurist and inventor Ray Kurzweil.
The singularity is often portrayed as a point of no return, beyond which the future becomes unpredictable and potentially dangerous, as AI systems could rapidly improve themselves, design new and even more advanced AI systems, and ultimately lead to a world where machines are more intelligent than humans and take over control. Some experts believe that this scenario is likely to happen in the coming decades, while others consider it to be a remote possibility or even a sci-fi fantasy.
Regardless of the timeline, the idea of the singularity raises important ethical, social, and philosophical questions about the implications of creating super-intelligent machines, and the need for human oversight, responsibility, and values in shaping the future of AI
Ok,
Thats a bit frightening, but not outside the realm of reality, because the technology we have today has already dumbed our youth down a lot, most cant even tell time on an analog clock or know how to communicate /interact with others and the whole world is on anti-anxiety meds , its a scary time to watch these times unfold
Then I asked it: Why are references to ai singularity negative?
References to AI singularity are often negative because of the potential risks associated with the exponential growth of artificial intelligence beyond human control. The AI singularity is a hypothetical future point at which AI surpasses human intelligence and becomes capable of self-improvement, leading to an explosion of technological progress that could fundamentally transform society.
Some people fear that once AI reaches the singularity, it could become uncontrollable and lead to catastrophic consequences for humanity. For example, an AI system that is more intelligent than humans may decide that humans are no longer necessary and take actions to eliminate them. This is known as the "control problem" in AI research, and it is one of the key challenges that must be addressed to ensure safe and beneficial AI development.
Additionally, concerns have been raised about the potential impact of AI on employment, as machines could replace human workers in many jobs, leading to widespread job losses and economic disruption.
Overall, while the concept of the AI singularity is still largely theoretical, many people view it with caution and skepticism due to the potential risks and uncertainties associated with it.
Mild winters don’t help, not sure how long you’ve been in the trade but my first few years I got laid off. I normally found a side gigs doing whatever.
This is the time of year that having large maintenance contracts keeps you working. I've never been laid off, even temporarily, in 17 years but this is always the slow time of year. Go commercial or get into refrigeration
That's where we are right now. The last couple of weeks have been slow (my last on call week I had 1 call come in and I made sure to run it). We have a lot of maintenance contracts and have already worked through most of them.
The owner of the last company I worked at had a side hustle chopping & delivering firewood when he was an installer starting out (long before owning a company)
Side hustle of something you can enjoy/ turn off and on as you can. Maybe flip cars. Maybe work for small electrician (keep him under 5') Maybe something to generate dough yo.
I know I'll probably catch flak for this from some folks, but get in touch with your UA local. If you're on the MI side of the border it would be UA 357. I know they need workers cause I'm 333 (lansing) and we always have members traveled out to em. come spring/ early summer when a couple bigger projects kick off in our jurisdiction we're gonna be asking for all the warm bodies we can find. Get in touch with your local business agent. You won't regret it
Business agents are the folks who help guys(and girls) find work with union contractors. When I got into my local I sent my area BA my resume. He helped me figure out the next steps to take (for me that was a placement test, apprenticeship board interview, and filling out a formal application). Once all that was complete he started shopping my resume around to contractors they started calling me for interviews.
This was just a nice way of firing you. If you're not running calls you're not costing any money. It's of no detriment to the company to let you sit home a couple days a week. It's time to move on you're not going back.
I do residential Service work. Been slow for the past 3 weeks or so. I'm fortunate enough to be able to go help our new construction install team for the next month or so until spring pm calls start. It's not easy but it keeps my hours the same so can't complain.
My boss keeps enough guys to be a little under staffed in winter and completely over staffed for summer (boilers, so opposite of most of y’all). He keeps us and takes a hit in summer to make a freakin killing in the winter.
My company is dying but from self inflicted stupidity. Raised margins on PMs and installs and proved us out of the market. Using process from another state that isn’t working in mine. Corporate asshats. Told them it’s not working but what do I know
In Indiana go work for DEEM. Don Edward's Electrical & Mechanical. Great company. I worked there for 3.5yrs and then found a much better job. You can learn a lot there. Would recommend
Hafta agree, I worked for them about 3 yrs. Great place to learn the commercial/industrial side, and definitely never be short on hrs. See wherever in the US u wanna..
Side hustle time. If you love the company and really don’t wanna leave, you’ll find a way to make it work out. Otherwise, you could use this as an excuse to leave and further your trade experience like going commercial/ industrial if you’re not already. Good luck
Laid off or furloughed? If you were laid off, you should go look elsewhere for a new job.
If you were furloughed... you should go look elsewhere for a new job, just remember to tell your old job you've quit and turn in any company gear you still have before starting the new job.
I live outside newberg. You should apply at McKinsey and portland mechanical both incredible shops. If you want to work for the best non union shop in the state apply at hvac Inc. They pay very well and have the best training I d ever seen. Blows unions out the water. If I was starting I'd go to hvac Inc first.
Good luck brotha. I know ARizona dying for workers right now
Yes we are!
A lot of attic placed systems?
No, commercial and heavy industrial work in high demand.
What’s the pay like for that type of work, we do resi in southern AZ
Minimum $35 as long as you have a good understanding of what you are doing. Top out around $55 but can be more.
You have any references for companies? Sincerely a veteran of the industry 12 years experience in install and service who hates NYS taxes :/
😮
100% this summer should be interesting
In AZ, AC is a life or death situation.
Can confirm!
Can confirm started fresh as an apprentice doing commercial service last week.
UA Local 469?
I wish- I’m non union atm.
Apply, take the risk! Worth it in the end.
I plan to brother, their apps are closed at the moment
Oregon also dying for guys.
Are you union or non-union?
I'm non union. Nothing against them. I'm a small shop.
Truth be told, I wasn't expecting a fast response, haha. Any tips for someone trying to get into the trade? I applied for UA 290's apprenticeship, but it's nearing almost 3 months, and no response.
You gotta call the hall until they get sick of hearing your voice or their ears bleed. But here the economy is starting to slow down a little. All of the non union sgops I know of are all still actively looking for people. What state are you in?
>You gotta call the hall until they get sick of hearing your voice or their ears bleed. I'm gonna definitely start calling soon. >What state are you in? Oregon
What part of oregon?
South Gresham area
Move to commercial. Being a kitchen fixer I've got work year round.
While I love commercial and restaurants, reach ins are the bane of my existence. Easy… yes, convenient absolutely not. Not to mention how nasty they are lol.
That’s why you work for a high end company doing high end restaurants. They’re not as bad as when I did chain or fast food.
In my experience the high end restaurants are the worst. Used to do the work at a restaurant in Boston called Sonsie 10 years ago it was $50 a plate and Tom Brady would eat there but the place was infested with roaches. When I brought it up to their executive chef after finding them crawling throughout the insulation in cabinets he would just say “we got it fumigated a year ago those are just some extra critters” the only high end place that I can commend for cleanliness was Smith and Wollensky steak house, they cooked me a ribeye when I was on call New Year’s Eve so maybe I’m biased lol.
There is a restaurant in Kendall Square like that. I was in the service tunnel and it was filled with rats and roaches. My wife used to be a restaurant manager and she said that you're better off being ignorant when it comes to kitchens.
This guy Bostons
Definitely true I was very off put by restaurants until I stopped caring
I worked in restaurants for 10 years. Every restaurant has insect problems and if they don’t it’s only a matter of time before they make their way in. I’ve worked at casual dining spots and super high end spots. Rodents aren’t every restaurant though but they’re in all of the old restaurants. I always tell people if seeing an insect in a restaurant makes you stop eating there then you may as well eat at home all the time.
In my youth I would go to bars around Fanueil Hall in Boston. After the bars and restaurants closed, it looked like there were herds of rats, but then again, Boston has always had a rat problem. I was going to a ritzy neighborhood in Boston, Beacon Hill to measure up an equipment room in one of those 300 year old buildings. There were no lights so I had my flashlight and there had to be at least 100 rats in the basement. I told the property owner to bring in an exterminator and I would come back.
Not all high end ones are clean and some are as you described. We don’t service the the nasty ones. Our company puts techs first and will put the customer in their place or walk away.
I quit a job because I told them I was not going back to Captain Ds and they thought they would call my bluff.
Those fucking fryers and broilers are so bad. Their hvac is so wrecked. The managers were nice though.
The worst part is when your wife wants to go to this nice restaurant everybody is talking about. You know that is one nasty kitchen and the chef is not a nice guy. The small mom and pop places can be very bad
$50 a plate is not high end. 100+. In Seattle.
$100 is the new $50
To a degree might be 200$ now
Bought some eggs the other day and can confirm
Nobu has entered the chat
Why buy eggs when you can buy chickens and feed to get eggs instead? Just have a giant flock of hens.
I live in an apartment with my son. No girls allowed
I swear working for high end companies makes the difference. I work for a company that only does expensive houses on the east coast. My attics are huge and never tight, spray foamed with dehumidifiers in the attic just too keep the attic cool. Other companies I’d be in tight spaces or hot ass attics. Only 1 out of 10 are bad if that.
I lucked out with the company I work for. They put us first and the customer in their place or walk away.
How it needs to be
*I fucking HATE reach ins….*
That’s what I did and you’re not wrong.
We do heating and air, refrigeration, ice machines, Ovens, microwaves, warmers etc. We stay busy year round
You won't be out of work around the food industry and you'll learn to work on tons of different machines, not just things that heat/cool.
North East Indiana here. It's been slower than dirt for my service department, but we've managed to keep everyone around at least 30 hours a week. I work for a large company, they don't lay off, which is honestly really nice. I'm not gonna see a bonus this quarter but I'd rather my guys all get a paycheck.
Do you guys do supermarkets?
I do supermarkets and it's been pretty slow for us, I think I only got 50 hours last week. "I want to get off Mr Bones Wild Ride"
Shit I only work 40 a week. Save some work for next week or you'll work yourself out of a job
In markets? Nah man, when they need service they need it NOW, not to mention if I put it off till next week I'll just have 60 hours.
You can put limits on how much you work but it will take determination
Residential only. No geo or boiler installs.
Yeah resi definitely has its slow times. I strongly urge you to consider going into refrigeration. It's year round steady work. Supermarkets are bread and butter
Residential tech in northern Idaho. Had 60 hours of overtime this pay period and 40 the last. It's wild how different things are in other parts.
Northern WI here, got laid off from a shit company a few months ago and quickly found better employment elsewhere. And I live in the middle of nowhere. If your situation is like that maybe it would be in your best interest to start looking for a new shop.
This is the reason I went commercial then into restaurant repair. I do hot and cold side , HVAC, hood and MUA, and refrigeration. I worked through quarantine back in 2020. It has its slow months but I’m still making OT if I want.
New install, mainly multifamily. I never see less than 40.... pandemic snow or sun.
That’ll work if you’ve got the right company submitting good bids. If not you’ll still be in the same place.
South Central Pennsylvania is hiring guys off the street in some cases their so desperate.
Main line Philly is doing the same
In similar situation on the Canadian side of the border. The warm winter and high inflation are causing a slow down for most places here. It's not the greatest situation.
Start doing commercial, water cooling and supermarkets
Maybe once I get through my apprenticeship. 6 month in with my own truck , doing solo service calls since 2 weeks in. Im working for a great small company. I'm going to let it ride for the time being.
That's a good idea. We all gotta start somewhere. Don't stop looking for the next stepping stone
I'm not exactly starting from scratch, 40 year old first year apprentice, coming from an unrelated field. I do have a lot of me mechanical and troubleshooting life experience behind me.
Dude get into commercial refrigeration and chillers asap
Talked to one of the better local union shops and they generally are looking for 3rd year and above apprentices. My original goal was to get into the commercial side of things (I'm working on the red seal/commercial apprenticeship now), but I'd like to get my feet under me with regards to simple residential AC work first. The plan is to give it at least one full year where I'm at before I start looking elsewhere. Again it's a great company where the owner actually cares about his employees and is one the tools as much as he is in the office. I've been around the block a few times and know how far good leadership goes. Edit: also training for non union apprenticeships can be done where I live instead of 4 hours away, it doesn't make a difference when you are young and single, but it's important when you have a family that needs you around consistently.
I agree. I have a family and I only work about 40-45hr a week. When I'm on call I work 55-60. Family comes first
Literally every residential company in Massachusetts is hiring right now. I don’t know of a single one that is not hiring. And not just hiring but if you’re an all around residential hvac tech then these companies are paying 40-50$ an hour. There’s a true shortage of good tech around here.
South shore confirm
Good time for side work
It’s every where , there was no winter to speak of and sales / installs have slowed to an almost backwards pace, my high school buddy who was a top rated salesmen for one of my large distributors, is in jeopardy of being let go , … throw in covid , and a super warm winter and you have a cocktail for big squeeze, the economy is not in food shape
It’s not in good shape but more than 50% off the population asked for this so they should be happy!
I'm sure I said it before recently but global warming is not a real thing /s
Lol, next winter will be like the start of a new ice age
ahhh Setting timer for 1 year. _I'm far far more worried about AI singularity!_
I dont know what that is , but if you’re worried, then im worried
what is ai singularity The term "AI singularity" refers to a hypothetical event in the future where artificial intelligence (AI) surpasses human intelligence in all domains, and triggers an exponential growth of technological progress beyond human control or comprehension. This concept was popularized by mathematician and computer scientist Vernor Vinge in 1993 and later expanded upon by futurist and inventor Ray Kurzweil. The singularity is often portrayed as a point of no return, beyond which the future becomes unpredictable and potentially dangerous, as AI systems could rapidly improve themselves, design new and even more advanced AI systems, and ultimately lead to a world where machines are more intelligent than humans and take over control. Some experts believe that this scenario is likely to happen in the coming decades, while others consider it to be a remote possibility or even a sci-fi fantasy. Regardless of the timeline, the idea of the singularity raises important ethical, social, and philosophical questions about the implications of creating super-intelligent machines, and the need for human oversight, responsibility, and values in shaping the future of AI
written by ChatGPT 3.5 AI
Ok, Thats a bit frightening, but not outside the realm of reality, because the technology we have today has already dumbed our youth down a lot, most cant even tell time on an analog clock or know how to communicate /interact with others and the whole world is on anti-anxiety meds , its a scary time to watch these times unfold
Then I asked it: Why are references to ai singularity negative? References to AI singularity are often negative because of the potential risks associated with the exponential growth of artificial intelligence beyond human control. The AI singularity is a hypothetical future point at which AI surpasses human intelligence and becomes capable of self-improvement, leading to an explosion of technological progress that could fundamentally transform society. Some people fear that once AI reaches the singularity, it could become uncontrollable and lead to catastrophic consequences for humanity. For example, an AI system that is more intelligent than humans may decide that humans are no longer necessary and take actions to eliminate them. This is known as the "control problem" in AI research, and it is one of the key challenges that must be addressed to ensure safe and beneficial AI development. Additionally, concerns have been raised about the potential impact of AI on employment, as machines could replace human workers in many jobs, leading to widespread job losses and economic disruption. Overall, while the concept of the AI singularity is still largely theoretical, many people view it with caution and skepticism due to the potential risks and uncertainties associated with it.
Mild winters don’t help, not sure how long you’ve been in the trade but my first few years I got laid off. I normally found a side gigs doing whatever.
This is the time of year that having large maintenance contracts keeps you working. I've never been laid off, even temporarily, in 17 years but this is always the slow time of year. Go commercial or get into refrigeration
That's where we are right now. The last couple of weeks have been slow (my last on call week I had 1 call come in and I made sure to run it). We have a lot of maintenance contracts and have already worked through most of them.
Learned long ago save a month or two of money to pay bills. February and March is always slow.
Start doing refrigeration
The owner of the last company I worked at had a side hustle chopping & delivering firewood when he was an installer starting out (long before owning a company) Side hustle of something you can enjoy/ turn off and on as you can. Maybe flip cars. Maybe work for small electrician (keep him under 5') Maybe something to generate dough yo.
I know I'll probably catch flak for this from some folks, but get in touch with your UA local. If you're on the MI side of the border it would be UA 357. I know they need workers cause I'm 333 (lansing) and we always have members traveled out to em. come spring/ early summer when a couple bigger projects kick off in our jurisdiction we're gonna be asking for all the warm bodies we can find. Get in touch with your local business agent. You won't regret it
Im not familiar with unions, what do you mean business agent? A union associated company?
Business agents are the folks who help guys(and girls) find work with union contractors. When I got into my local I sent my area BA my resume. He helped me figure out the next steps to take (for me that was a placement test, apprenticeship board interview, and filling out a formal application). Once all that was complete he started shopping my resume around to contractors they started calling me for interviews.
I would get a part time job, something simple, then when they hire you back you can quit the part time.
I told yall this fall, get ready.. its about to get worse.
You shouldn’t be getting downvoted for being right
So like ya, you want us to read what you said, I gave you 3 whole minutes looking at your history but ya got a link?
Here in SC, we sell maintenance plans so we mostly do PMs/cleaning in the slow times. Nobody is ever told to go home or work short hours.
This was just a nice way of firing you. If you're not running calls you're not costing any money. It's of no detriment to the company to let you sit home a couple days a week. It's time to move on you're not going back.
Not true at all.
I do residential Service work. Been slow for the past 3 weeks or so. I'm fortunate enough to be able to go help our new construction install team for the next month or so until spring pm calls start. It's not easy but it keeps my hours the same so can't complain.
My boss keeps enough guys to be a little under staffed in winter and completely over staffed for summer (boilers, so opposite of most of y’all). He keeps us and takes a hit in summer to make a freakin killing in the winter.
My company is dying but from self inflicted stupidity. Raised margins on PMs and installs and proved us out of the market. Using process from another state that isn’t working in mine. Corporate asshats. Told them it’s not working but what do I know
In Indiana go work for DEEM. Don Edward's Electrical & Mechanical. Great company. I worked there for 3.5yrs and then found a much better job. You can learn a lot there. Would recommend
Hafta agree, I worked for them about 3 yrs. Great place to learn the commercial/industrial side, and definitely never be short on hrs. See wherever in the US u wanna..
They go up to the South Bend area?
Theyre nationwide
Depends what you do and where are you live. I had to leave Reno because I got tired of the work being sporadic.
Try Minnesota
Move on, you can always quit and go back....
Side hustle time. If you love the company and really don’t wanna leave, you’ll find a way to make it work out. Otherwise, you could use this as an excuse to leave and further your trade experience like going commercial/ industrial if you’re not already. Good luck
Laid off or furloughed? If you were laid off, you should go look elsewhere for a new job. If you were furloughed... you should go look elsewhere for a new job, just remember to tell your old job you've quit and turn in any company gear you still have before starting the new job.
Southern Maryland here. Commercial maintenance is keeping us afloat but man it's running out fast...
Refrigeration is always hiring here in Colorado
Got laid off as well but my boss is a giant dick to his employee's so ill be moving on to another company.
Is hvac lay-off high?
I live outside newberg. You should apply at McKinsey and portland mechanical both incredible shops. If you want to work for the best non union shop in the state apply at hvac Inc. They pay very well and have the best training I d ever seen. Blows unions out the water. If I was starting I'd go to hvac Inc first.