texas move..

[RichD]

Nice..  yeah ive found few good ones for cheap...  If  anyone here work in or with IBEW?   Since I can't transfer with twc,  I'm trying get to go through the union.  I could probably keep my 10 years.   Contacted some one in local 7 today.  They said they will get back to me...

I've worked around the IBEW (and by that I mean I figured out how not to get involved) found I can make a LOT more $$$ and avoid the politics that way.

It seems union opportunities are shrinking here and employers are willing to pay to keep it that way.

FWIW, I do commercial and residential electrical, low voltage, and instrumentation/controls/PLC work.

[cokey]

Yeah, I'm not big on unions either. I want to use it as a means to get in. I don't have any electrical experience, so I'll use them to gain it.   I've been a cable tech for 10 years.   This day and age though, unless you've got those pieces of paper, it's impossible to get a job.   No more sign up and learn on the job, which I'm good at...

[RichD]

Yeah, I'm not big on unions either. I want to use it as a means to get in. I don't have any electrical experience, so I'll use them to gain it.   I've been a cable tech for 10 years.   This day and age though, unless you've got those pieces of paper, it's impossible to get a job.   No more sign up and learn on the job, which I'm good at...

So, is it you want to get out of the cable tech gig and branch out into something new?
Or are you finding it hard to land a cable tech job here without degrees/etc?

[cokey]

Both.  I have certificates in as a cable tech.  A+ and various courses we take.  Also certified for alarm systems in NYS.  I applied for an open position with time warner in Dallas, still no word.  Happend to another tech too.   Either they don't want to pay the higher wage and or they don't like TWC NYC techs much because we're on a union.   I've heard they don't want us spouting to the guys over there union propaganda.   

Would like something new.   Bored with cable work already.   I want to be able to work on my own solar setup.  Learning to be an electrician will help.   

[muskrat]

There are no unions in TX only trade groups.  They aren't officially recognized in a right to work state. 

[cokey]

Local 7, 220, 20 are there, so what do you mean ?

[RichD]

Don't mind him, he's misinformed, as usual.

Unions are like Santa Claus and Luke Skywalker,
just because you don't believe they're real, that doesn't mean they aren't for everyone else.. 

[cokey]

Lol.  Well I applied to 5 other positions around or near Dallas in TWC.  See if any bite

[Raux]

Www.usajobs.gov

[muskrat]

without getting political.........Taft–Hartley Act

[RichD]

without getting political.........Taft–Hartley Act

As a person who has worked in two different heavily unionized industries in Texas...
Let me assure you the unions are here, they have a lot of power, and do effect the employment situation of productive people.

You can point at hollow laws all day long.
I can too.
It doesn't change what people living in reality have to contend with. 

[zach (Slag)]

You don't want to be next to a frack site? Have a water well around you? Find out if they used hydrofracturing to increase the yield. If it is just the oil and gas companies that you are worried about then the DFW metroplex may not be the area for you. There are well pads everywhere, and I've put in many miles of pipe in Arlington.  Love the Barnett Shale! Construction noise will only be an issue for a short time on new pads. You will not even know they are there once completed.

Water for your homestead may be an issue. Weren't you interested in completely off grid living?  Irrigation will be difficult without using city water. Wells ran dry a few years ago.  East or South of the metro may be your best locations for what you're after.  Northwest Arkansas would be ideal. Parts of Mississippi too. Arkansas has better climate.  I'd personally go for Alabama or Georgia. Rain, terrain, lower population density, and survivable winters. Don't underestimate the importance of population density during the beginning of the zombie apocalypse. There are lots of people here. 6.4 million in the metro. It isn't NYC, but nor is it small town TX. Hell, the population of the entire state of MS is only 2.9 million. North Texas is filling up. One single infected person and we're make the beast with two backsed 

Texas roads suck too. There are a few ok places to ride, but nothing spectacular. You may find yourself parking the bike more in the summer than in the winter. Riding in 100+ degree temps just isn't worth it to me.

Conclusion? Texas isn't that great, especially if you don't embrace fracking and dying of thirst in the zombie apocalypse.

[Raux]

Se ok has plenty of water low pop density and lots of woods to hide

[muskrat]

"hollow".....
stated perfectly when describing union power in a right to work state.   At the end of the day no matter what you think is true or not everyone is a number and a dispensable product should any company decide to do so, period.

[muskrat]

Zach has been "Komifornia-lized" of late it seems.   
The metroplex (DFW) is dense for sure and so is much of the corridor up and down I35 but outside of that there is shit tons of land and woods not to mention good roads.  Pretty much anything West of Abiline has shitty roads and oil wells everywhere, excluding Big Bend area (Fort Stockton/Alpine and South).