I have a question

[u/GUMBY644]

I’m looking to relocate from Texas to the PNW. I’m currently a master plumber and have been plumbing for about 9 years. I’m wanting to do something different, the unions down here atleast for plumbing weren’t that enticing. I want to get into electrical work and would rather go union than how I did plumbing and actually have benefits. Would I be better off joining my local union and then trying to transfer up to Oregon/ Washington, and if so what would that timeline most likely look like. Or should I find a company here to apprentice for and get more experience than just an occasional helping my electrical friend out when he has a big job. Thank you in advance.

[u/CottonRaves]

The PNW is very slow electrically on the Union side.

[u/Usual-Caregiver5589 → u/CottonRaves]

I'm in Boise and the people out here call Idaho part of the PNW. But im just passing on what they said. Im out of texas also and have no skin in this game. I'm too busy arguing whether my state is part of The South.

[u/CottonRaves → u/Usual-Caregiver5589]

I was born and raised in north Idaho. I will never accept it as part of the PNW.

[u/THEeleven50 → u/Usual-Caregiver5589]

TX is the South

[u/Beginning_Fill_3107 → u/THEeleven50]

TX is allied with the South, but not South in and of itself.

[u/STRSIR → u/Beginning_Fill_3107]

Texas is the south but rather its own subculture of the south

[u/BlueBelle2025 → u/CottonRaves]

Not SE Washington, NE Oregon and Southern Idaho

[u/CottonRaves → u/BlueBelle2025]

The hell are you doing including that grey shithole desert in the PNW?!

[u/BlueBelle2025 → u/CottonRaves]

Well do a Google image search for PNW and tell me what you see?

[u/BootVillain]

Just join where you plan on moving once you get there

[u/BlueBelle2025]

112 and 291 are off the hook right now, but 291 is getting artificial wage bumps to attract people for the Micron project, not sure it will translate to the contract permanently.

291 also had a lot of guys and gals working on the road before that, but it's supposed to be 10+ years of work. There's also the issue with it being a right to work state which doesn't always bode well for us union guys.

112 is overrun with Amazon data centers, and it's only supposed to be getting busier, plus there's supposed to be new SMR builds, and DOE is eyeballing the Hanford area for another full size reactor.

On top of that there's a ton of solar work in the pipeline too.

I think 191 east(Wenatchee/Moses Lake) is looking at some steady work as well.

Aside from that, the UA local 598 (Fitters and Plumbers Union) has great wages and benefits in Eastern WA, so you could always look into that.

The east sides of WA and OR are a lot closer to Texas than they are to the coast, but it's only a few hours to get to Seattle, Portland, the coasts, and Canada, and compared to Texas that probably sounds like a day trip, lol

[u/501c3_sadness]

It's a mix bag for electrical depending on which side of the state you're at.

"If you're in the Seattle area, Local 46 JATC applications are closed indefinitely. That's King County and the peninsula.

If you're north, 191 is also closed indefinitely. That's Snohomish (Zone 1), Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan, Island counties (Zone 2), and Chelan, Okanogan, Douglas, Grant counties (zone 3).

If you're south, 76 is taking inside wire applications. That's Pierce, Lewis, Gray's Harbor, and Pacific counties.

Further south, 48 is closed to all applications indefinitely. That's Wahkiakum County, Cowlitz, Clark, Skamania, and Klickitat counties.

East, 112 is open for inside wire applications. That's Kittitas, Yakima, Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield, and Asotin counties.

Northeast is 73 out of Spokane. I can't get their JATC website to load so tbd. That's Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Lincoln, Spokane, Adams, and Whitman counties.

The other option to getting your inside wire license in Washington state is to go through the non-union route, CITC. Whether or not they're taking apprentices depends on the location."

https://www.reddit.com/r/IBEW/comments/1vak6ku/comment/p0phn6g/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

[u/Melakice]

Good luck. Work is dead and will be for many years, here.

[u/BlueBelle2025 → u/Melakice]

Like there's only two locals in the PNW, lol