looking for a Power Lineman job

[Robert]

I really love many things about Alaska like the beauty clean air relaxed laws but the main draw for me thease days is the gold mining. They shut down the gold dredging here in California which I'm very unhappy about. I would be dredging right now making a good living whial I'm looking for a job. California is pushing me to find another place to enjoy my hobby. I keep thinking I could find a mining claim in Alaska to dredge on and pay the bills while I'm looking for a job. Once I'm there for a year I could sign up for the lineman apprentice training program they have there. But I'm probably just dreaming. Gold hit $1794 today thats about $57 a gram. I remember one time I found 9 grams in 5 hours with a 2" dredge. If I had my 5" dredge running right now I could only imagine.

 

[fogtender]

I really love many things about Alaska like the beauty clean air relaxed laws but the main draw for me thease days is the gold mining. They shut down the gold dredging here in California which I'm very unhappy about. I would be dredging right now making a good living whial I'm looking for a job. California is pushing me to find another place to enjoy my hobby. I keep thinking I could find a mining claim in Alaska to dredge on and pay the bills while I'm looking for a job. Once I'm there for a year I could sign up for the lineman apprentice training program they have there. But I'm probably just dreaming. Gold hit $1794 today thats about $57 a gram. I remember one time I found 9 grams in 5 hours with a 2" dredge. If I had my 5" dredge running right now I could only imagine.

Well mining may be a good deal, but you are looking at about two months tops before winter sets in and shuts down all summer activities. Unless you are working underground in the frost or hardrock, it will be spring before you can get going mining again.

For some reason it seems there is a lot of interest in mining again...wonder why!

 

[Snowtrac Nome]

mining is a 180 day season if every thing works right around here it's about 2 1/2 months guys are working off shore maing wages or a little better it's hard work if you are working short call like i did a few years before i got a full time position you won't have much time to look for gold as you will be working every ounce of over time to get a good enough grub stake to get through the winter but if options are limited where you are and you have some other skills such as a cdl or carpentry skills there is always work in the bush for some one who will show up for work i had a buddy he came up looking for gold and wound up working full time for the state

 

[Robert]

Theres no dought about mining being hard work its all about moving rocks. Ive been gold mining scense 1996 and know how hard it can be. I did write a letter to a couple of guys dredging offshore in Nome to see if they needed another muscle to help them out but it was a long shot and I dont expect to here back. I have my Class A CDL and also have 5 years expierence in concrete construction. I have been going through the craigslist job adds up there and checking things out. I think it would be cool to live and work in Alaska but chances are I will get a job somewhere else.

 

[Snowtrac Nome]

for temp work contact q trucking in nome he has concrete trucks and runs a trucking fleet may still be some work if you have any equipment operating skills a local mine just started develiping placer resources around here and they are hard up for help the hospital project has all the labor tied up alaska mechanicial inc will be doig a big reclaimation project this winter on a har rock mill they might also be able to use some one with your skills

 

[muleman]

Maybe you can get a job climbing around on these.

 

[Robert]

Big update. In the last several months I covered a lot of ground. On April 1 I drove to the Local 47 Union Hall in Riverside CA. and filled out an application for the Joint Area Apprentice Training Committee J.A.T.C. Next I drove to Washington an tested for Seattle City Light but in the end I didn't get in. Then I drove to Sacramento and tested for the Sacramento Municipal Utility District but wasn't excepted. Then I drove to Vacaville and signed the Groundman book 3 for the local 1245 Union hall. In October the JATC called me and said they wanted an interview so I drove back to Riverside and did an interview with them. On the way back from Riverside the local 1245 called me and said they found me a Groundman job working with Diversified Utility Services Inc. in Bakersfield CA. and I excepted. I've been working with them for the last 3 weeks doing a lot of transmission work 10 to 12 hours a day 6 or 7 days a week. Its good work, good money and good experience but my real gole is getting into a company that has an Apprentice Training Program so I can work my way up to Journeyman title. While working with Diversified the JATC called me and said I interviewed #17 out of hundreds of people. This is what I've been waiting for a chance at an Apprentice Lineman job. The JATC trains a few guys and gets them an Apprentice Lineman position working for contractors and then starts training a few more and so on. So I'm waiting for them to call my number so I can begin the program. Hopefully they will call my number but meanwhile I am working for the union. The people I work with are real hard on me degrading me in every way possible but they are a good team and they are teaching me the trade. What they are teaching me is everything I do has to be perfect no exceptions. If I mess something up it could be really expensive or cost someone their life. They take a lot of pride i their work and do not expect anything less from me. So this is where I stand as of right now, working while waiting for my number to be called. And the Journey continues.

 

[tiredretired]

Thanks dds for the tip. I went down to the JATC on April 1 to sign the union haul books. That was the day they washed all the old names off the books and started over clean slate. So I turned in my info and have been waiting for a call, and they just called 3 days ago to let me know they are going over my paper work. When I was down there they guaranteed NLC. students an interview. Some class mates have already goten an interview. This should get me on with the IBEW. I going to search right now on how to get on the out of work list.

I'm a 40 year IBEW retiree. Good luck with your IBEW career. Gave me a great life, supported my family and now enjoying the bennies. All the best to you, brother.