Finish Carpenter moving to Las Vegas

[Joshua B]

Hey everyone I am new to this forum but have been reading the threads posted here for a few years. I am introducing myself and am excited to join a community of carpenters that are as excited about the Finish Carpentry Trade as I am. I have decided to move to Las Vegas and was wondering if I could get some advice as to were to go to for work out here. I have been out here a week but haven't found anyone that is hiring for finish carpenters. If anyone knows of a good reputable company that they could recommend to me or perhaps a GC or sub that does trim work I would really appriciate it. I have interviewed with a couple of trim-cabinetry companys out here that would hire me tomarrow but I have to be union and I am not at this time. All the input and advice I could get would be very appriciated. Thanks, Joshua

[Dick Seibert]

Joshua:

Las Vegas has economic problems as bad, if not worse, as California has, have you talked to the union to see if you qualify to transfer in? You can make a lot more money plus getting benefits as union in California than you will non-union in Nevada.

[Joshua B]

Dick,

Yes the first day I came here I went to the union hall to sign up. They need 4 years proven experience to become a journeyman carpenter. I've been in this trade for 3 years. My best bet to get into the union out here is to join as a 80-90% apprentice, which has a good rate i think between 26-29 p/h + benefits. I applied to the apprenticeship program but it will take them 8 weeks to get me into an interview, then i have to wait for processing fee's, etc etc... I tried to work for the union out in California, but between the writers strike that was going on in the studio's, and the lack of work out there for union finish carpentry I let it go.

[Dick Seibert]

Joshua:

With three years properly documented experience you should qualify for 75% of journeyman rate, offering you 80 to 90% is a great deal, I'd go for it, for one thing residential construction is dead for the foreseeable future, and union commercial/industrial will hold up to an extent.

[Joshua B]

I know its a good deal out here. But for the meantime in the next 3 months i need to get to work elsewhere. I don't have to go union, I just want to go to work. LOL I dont even know if I would go union if I found a good company. Thanks for your input though.

[hdrider_chgo]

Go union if you can. It's a better deal in the long run. And you'll have a lot more options open to you.

[Dick Seibert]

Many here work in construction while they are waiting to get union fireman or policeman jobs. The guy who retired, Stockli, will be getting 100% or more of his salary as a pension for the rest of his life, along with annual increases, since he's probably only 50 or so that $379,000 a year could amount to a million a year if he lives long enough. This says nothing of his lifetime medical/dental/vision benefits, and many supplement their retirement as contractors after public service retirement.

[swbuilder]

[QUOTE=Dick Seibert;365967]Many here work in construction while they are waiting to get union fireman or policeman jobs. The guy who retired, Stockli, will be getting 100% or more of his salary as a pension for the rest of his life, along with annual increases, since he's probably only 50 or so that $379,000 a year could amount to a million a year if he lives long enough. This says nothing of his lifetime medical/dental/vision benefits, and many supplement their retirement as contractors after public service retirement.[/QUOTE

That's right, keep giving away the farm so the next generation will have to work longer and harder. If I was a tax payer in that town I would puke.

[quijas23]

and everyone wonders why the cities (i.e. Vallejo for you bay area guys) keep declaring bancruptcy...

[Dick Seibert]

Quijas:

They should declare Chapter 9 bankruptcy, that's what that section of the bankruptcy law was designed for. There is no way future generations of taxpayers should be paying for these people, the PBGC will pay them about 30¢ on the dollar so they won't be starving, still be getting more than most working carpenters.

[Overbuilders]

Joshua:

With three years properly documented experience you should qualify for 75% of journeyman rate, offering you 80 to 90% is a great deal, I'd go for it, for one thing residential construction is dead for the foreseeable future, and union commercial/industrial will hold up to an extent.

From the latest issue of ENR:

http://enr.ecnext.com/coms2/article_febiar080305-1

[irish master]

Well first I would like to say, that I have always found my own work, we are in the united states of america, yes Las Vegas may be filled with unions ripping off trim carpenters for 35 bucks an hour when piece averages 100, but there are always the custom home market, I would say drive around to small builders custom homes and put in bids hell a few of the right houses should put you in good shape all year with money..I would say no to unions for trim carpentry maby it would be good for production becuase of bennefits and retirement but i would never accept 35 bucks and hour to build a massive window treatment or bender rail..Fine wood work is the art and no union should set a wage for that level or carpentry. so It has its good points and bad but if you can get into custom I think you will do just fine and should have better paying work in the same time in would take you to get into a union..