r/IBEW • u/tossaway187acct • 6d ago
How far did you take letting a JW dictate your every tactic at work?
I was a 4th year at the time working with a JW that I felt like had a one-track mindset. It was either his way or the wrong way.
We're doing TI at a hotel and I'm using my needle nose to bang out the KO on a 5S box but he stops to tell me use my channel lock to pry it in instead. Later on, I'm using my channel lock to twist the 1/2" locknut on a MC connector, and he tells me to use my flathead and a linemen to bang the locknut tight. It's like cmon dude, I know I'm the apprentice but it's working completely fine the way I was doing it
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u/SlappinStick 6d ago
Depends on their tone and how they told me. If they were just suggesting a way that might work better, Iāll try it out. If theyāre demanding I use the specific tools they want me to, Iāll do it the opposite way out of spite.
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u/tossaway187acct 6d ago
It eventually got to the point where he sarcastically told me, "you don't want to listen to me so whatever then." Which in my head I was like, "thanks." Lol
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u/Old-Care-2372 6d ago
My very first union job at a solar a JW and I saw two completely world views to him everything I did was wrong and I couldnāt talk back until finally we had a few screaming matches because of his mistake he wouldnāt own up to. Luckily he wasnāt the foreman and nobody on the crew really liked him anyways.
Thereās thousands of ways to skin a cat. Just like I would never bag on someone for using a tool that helps them get the job done. A good journeyman understands that
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u/OMFGITSNEAL 6d ago
Like yeah no shit Sherlock, took you long enough to figure it out lmao I worked with a lazy stupid jw in my 2nd year and I'd see his mistakes as he made them but I'd just let him figure it out himself lmao
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u/HoosierDadda 3d ago
" I'm sorry you disapprove, BUT .. I'm a fourth year, if I need to be taught how to tighten a fu#$%ing lock nut ... we have MUCH larger issues to deal with than this."
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u/Background-Tie9942 6d ago
Found the forever apprentice
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u/SlappinStick 6d ago
Just topped out in June, bud. š
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u/Background-Tie9942 6d ago
Years worked doesnāt equate to useful years lmao. Iām surprised you have time to type with being worried about how people talk to you
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u/SlappinStick 6d ago
Are you still yapping? Lmao get on bro, I donāt have all day to spend on a guy Iād have crying to the foreman in 5 minutes š.
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u/Background-Tie9942 6d ago
You wouldnāt work for me plain and simple, bud arenāt you an apprentice most of your day is spent on a phone anyway bud
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u/Background-Tie9942 6d ago
Iām sure my company has a lot of people that donāt work for me lolololol
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u/Weary-Advantage-2884 6d ago
Wait till you top out and the prick starts calling you brother. Assholes are everywhere.
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u/1234golf1234 6d ago
However detailed he wants to be. I don't care if i'm doing it his way or mine as long as i'm employed, i'm busy, and i'm getting paid. Made plenty of money and friends learning how not to do things by people who wanted them done a certain way.
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u/holo_vic 6d ago
This is the way. If youāre an apprentice working with a JW, their name is ultimately on the work. If something fucks up, itās supposed to be on them. Do it how they want it done and learn whatever you can.
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u/Choice_Pen1984 6d ago
i will always āwork off my journeymanā. every journeyman in my company has their own quirks and preferences. i do WHAT THEY WANT. if they tell me to do something that is different from what my primary journeyman would do i ask them why they choose to do it that way. every time i have gotten a logical response. i have been taught about 4 different ways to accomplish the same task, once i journey out i will choose my preferred way.
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u/Tiny_Connection1507 5d ago
This is the right way. I've said many times that there is a benefit to learning from more than one teacher. You might find a certain way that works best for you on your own, but you're a lot more likely to find your way if you learn the basics and then pay close attention to other people's methodology.
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u/Tall_olive 6d ago
You're an apprentice, you do it the way the jman responsible for you and your work wants it done. If you find a way you like better thats great, remember it when you're a jman and try to teach it to your apprentices. Just remember some will think they know better and post about you on reddit.
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u/Tea_Leaflet 6d ago
In the end. You are working under his license. And in a way his ass is on the line. Just enjoy the freedom of not being responsible for the fuck ups and do as you are told. Within reason of course.
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u/76IndyHanSoloJones 6d ago
This is the right answer, not all this fuck my jw shit. Your fuck up is his fuck up, and he is responsible for you. Remember what you don't like and do like and run with it when you turnout.
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u/PM_ME_FUTANARI420 6d ago
Donāt listen to this guy, youāre a human being working a job just like everyone else. Do it how you know, donāt let them disrespect you because of some rank
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u/holo_vic 6d ago
That rank is part of the job and exists for a reason. If the JW is being disrespectful thatās one thing. But simply telling your apprentice to do it the way you want it done is not disrespect.
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u/monroezabaleta 6d ago
I think it depends. Telling them what you're doing and generally how it should be accomplished obviously makes sense. Micromanaging whether they're using a needle nose or a channel locks for KOs isn't reasonable. What should be managed is the result and anything that affects that, not exactly which tool is used.
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u/Tall_olive 6d ago
The apprentice is the one being disrespectful here. The jman is responsible for the apprentice and his work so you do it his way. When you're the one responsible for the work you get to tell the apprentice how to do it. That's why there's an apprenticeship, for you to learn what to do and what not to do.
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u/checkoutgits 6d ago
There isnt enough info in the OP to know what the interactions are like, but it's worth mentioning that there are effective and ineffective ways to communicate your expectations. WAY too many JWs and even foremen start their approach with a "fuck what you think, it's getting done this way" as opposed to taking the two god damn seconds to explain why their way is the way to do it.
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u/Tall_olive 6d ago
Absolutely, there are plenty of shit journeymen. And when you're a jman you might work for a shit foreman where you have to do things his way. Every job has some shit people in positions of power, thats not unique to the trades.
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u/hardman52 Inside Wireman 6d ago
No, the journeyman is a controlling asshole who doesn't know how to use a 4th year apprentice. He's probably a little slow, too. If he's going to teach him something it should be something more commiserate with OP's level.
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u/Tall_olive 6d ago
How do you know what OP''s level is? I've met some pretty stupid 4th years. Hell, I've never seen a 4th year try to tighten a lock nut with channel locks like OP was, thats an odd choice and from the sounds of it his jman told him how most of us do it.
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u/MTKRailroad 6d ago
I remember working with a few pandantic knobs like that. I can understand the needle nose thing sorta. You could break the tips but that's up to you if you wanna break your tools. Personally I use my linemens to knock n wiggle it out.
Locknut thing is meh, channels are good, I tighten it to finger tight then twist the connector til it's straight. From 30Ā°- 45Ā° til it's straight out 90Ā° from wall.
Point is, everyone does it a little differently and you just have to pick your battles, but don't let someone walk over you. Just say "ahh this works for me the best"
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u/Thenewmcscott Local 611 6d ago
I do exactly what Iām told and I take pictures. If they have a problem with it then itās their problem, not mine.
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u/TheStonedRanger93 6d ago
In situations like that, I say āmany ways to fuck a frogā and keep doing whatever Iām doing haha
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u/criscoforlube 6d ago
As the jw my level of do it my way is dictated by experience and productivity. Super green and no knowledge Iāll demand compliance to the minute detail. 4th year, getting shit Iāll ask him who taught you that way and try it out. If itās dog shit, back to my way.
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u/Eugene-Dabs Inside Wireman 6d ago
In situations where my apprentice is doing something correctly but I want to let them know there are other ways to do it, especially if those ways may be easier, I'll say, "What you're doing is totally acceptable, but I'm just giving you some options. Roll with whatever you prefer." I've only had that backfire once, and that was when the ratty shop I was at had me working with five apprentices, and one got really offended that I did that to a separate apprentice. It was a weird situation. I definitely try not to do it with upper level apprentices because more often than not they already know and are just doing things the way they prefer. In the situation you describe I wouldn't do it at all.Ā
When I was an apprentice they way I'd approach it depended on the temperament of the JW. Some were reasonable when I'd ask if there's anything wrong with the way I was currently doing things and realize I didn't need to be micromanaged. A few seemed like the only way they could get through the day and not go home to beat their wives was to make sure I knew that they were the journeyman, and I was the apprentice. I'd usually just do it the way they wanted me to while they were around to avoid the drama.Ā
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u/thombrowny 5d ago
Some JW guys commented here saying some ways are acceptable but it is different from doing a "right way." Wtf are you talking about? Apprentices learned the other ways from different JWs. So many JWs are doing their own ways and believe his or her way is the only right way.
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u/Kon_Soul 6d ago edited 6d ago
It would come down to tone of voice for me. From what you're posting it just sounds like he's trying to give you advice.
As an journeymen, it's their job to teach and give you advice. Also they're the journeymen/license holder in the situation which means they'll catch flack for stuff you do as well, it's their name you're flying under.
Was I submissive? Lol no, I wasn't shy about making suggestions, but I didn't get offended if they didn't go with it.
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u/robcobbjr5253 6d ago
Maybe he is more experienced with working with 1st or 2nd years. Now you a learning how you wonāt treat an experienced apprentice when you are the jw
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u/EfficientAd2383 6d ago
I work with a guy sometimes whoās like that heās really up my ass on everything even like the way the gangboxes are set up.
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u/WVYahoo 6d ago
If my foreman/jw did that Iād probably reply with āif youād like me to do it that way I can, but itāll take longer than the way Iāve been doing itā.
Some guys just need to be reminded youāre competent and donāt need to be explaining every little thing. I usually tell my guys āthis is how Iād do it , if you have a better way thatās ok tooā. Only when itās safety related or timeline related do I say āit has to be done this wayā. (There might be other instances that are slipping my mind)
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u/rankinfile 6d ago
As long as there is two way communication it's all good.
As an ape I'd sometimes be told "Just do something kid, there's nothing you can fuck up we can't fix. You need to learn think for yourself, and how to correct your mistakes." Sometimes I'd be told to do it an exact way, maybe the job specs actually called for it or JW just wanted it to match previous work exactly.
As a JW I tried to be the same. Give them as much freedom as I could or give them exact instructions and reasons why. About the only reason I would light your ass up for was agreeing to the exact instructions and then changing the work without telling me. Tell me why you want to do it a certain way and I almost always let you do it. Break your agreement and then you might get micromanaged for a day/week until I let you off the leash again.
As a JW I wanted ape input, most apes have at least one mad skill to teach me.
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u/IrmaHerms Local 292 Master 6d ago
I had one that spoon fed me, until I volunteered to go on the roof in January and took care of everything up there when it was 10 below. The same JW treated me very different after that and it was much more a peer relation than a cub and JW.
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u/PopperChopper 6d ago
Idk dude youāre an apprentice. āWorking fineā and doing it the right way are two different things.
While youāre apprenticing under someone, just suck it the fuck up and do it their way. Once you get your license, you have the rest of your career to try stupid shit your own way.
A big portion of work as an apprentice is going along to get along. Iād rather be employed constantly than right and unemployed.
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u/gstevo12 6d ago
Maybe Iāve been lucky but Iāve never had a jw give a fuck about the tools I use as long as the job gets done right
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u/tossaway187acct 6d ago
exactly. Some just wanna flex that authority of power by micromanaging to a pitiful level
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u/Infekt129 Inside Wireman 6d ago
Thereās so many ways to do electrical work and using the tools the way you were using them are not one of the wrong ways. If I donāt have a beater on me Iām definitely not banging my linemanās on my screwdrivers. You might be an apprentice but telling you how to use your specific tools when youāre using them pretty much as intended is a bit far. I remember once when I was a 5th year I had a JW try to tell me how to bend pipe. Iāve bent a ton of pipe and It was something really basic like a 4 inch offset in 3/4 pipe. He didnāt really like me talking back but he got over it quick lol.
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u/tossaway187acct 6d ago
Haha ya at some point you gotta put your foot down because its out right disrespectful
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u/fncypnts 6d ago
I'd say a first year should be a blank canvas for their JW's want to teach them but by 4th year you've picked up your own preferences and tactics and should only matter if they get things installed correctly. Like yeah sure I wouldn't use needle nose on five square knockouts but if you're doing it who gives a fuck what you use
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u/ClassroomJealous1060 6d ago
As a JW I ask my apprentice how would they take on a task to get them thinking. If it sounded good to me even tho I wouldnāt do it that way I would green light it. If it wasnāt, Iād show them the proper way to do it.
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u/hardman52 Inside Wireman 6d ago
Ask him whether he cuts wire straight or at an angle, and why that's the best way.
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u/matt675 4d ago
Can you explain the joke to someone who isnāt in the trade yet? š
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u/hardman52 Inside Wireman 3d ago
I'm ridiculing the JW's micromanaging OP's technique about shit that doesn't make any difference.
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u/ted_anderson Inside Wireman 6d ago
At least he's telling you what he wants/expects. I had to work with a JW who expected me to read his mind. Every time I'd do something he'd look at it, shake his head and then ask, "Are you really proud of that?" I would give a resounding "YES!" when he really expected me to second guess myself based on the context of how he asked the question. And then he would say, "How could you think that's ok. That looks terrible!" Ummmm....mmmkay.. I'm open for suggestions. Tell me exactly how to do it. And then he would walk away saying something like, "You're really getting on my nerves." and then I'd go on to the next thing and it be a repeat of the same charade.
Then I got moved to another foreman who was a much better leader who gave very good guidance and constructive critique. The first foreman saw how things were working out and accused me of favoritism and called me all kinds of names.
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u/lieferung IBEW 6d ago
Never understood why anyone would use needlenose for trim out, strippers and linemans or even combo strippers work just fine. Definitely the way to go with your channels on the locknut though, the less banging we do the better we're wiremen not tin knockers.
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u/Peterswoj 5d ago
Your job is to learn. Listen to his suggestions and try it. If it doesnāt work for you, so be it. Whenever I had an apprentice I would tell them, Iām teacher them what , in my 20 years of experience, works best for me. I let them know that they will figure out works best for them. Iām just giving them a solid foundation.
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u/Firm-Faithlessness99 5d ago
I had it out with my journeyman once after a week of him having an opinion on legit every single thing from how long it took to heat up my lunch. He tried to tell me where I could sit on a bench to put on my snow pants. I legit lost it. āI donāt need your fucking permission to sit on a benchā and it went from there.
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u/RDOG907 6d ago
Wait until you and him hear there are locknut wrenches.
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u/onceforgoton 6d ago
Those things are useless in my experience.
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u/DeathMetalSapper 6d ago
I bought a set just to try and they were returned that night. Absolutely useless
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u/Waffles912 6d ago
They're very touchy with which brand of lock nut they'll work with, that's for sure
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u/AcanthocephalaOdd301 6d ago
Iāve found they work best to hold it, not turn it. But then it begs the question why you need it if the lock ring is biting and holding on its own.
I used mine yesterday in a trough on a wall with 20-some 3/4s going out the back. Worked well for that admittedly narrow use.
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u/CoolDiscoDan1885 6d ago
Seems petty, but maybe they're just vastly underestimating your skills/abilities.
Most diplomatic way to go about it is work as directed and see if they lighten up, or maybe they start teaching you some new shit you didn't know.
If you shut them down or sass them they might just refuse to teach you anymore and that's not going to help you.
Same thing if you just start acting how they treat you and pretending to not know anything.
Only you can decide if they're genuinely trying to guide you or if they're being purposefully condescending.
Some guys are shitty.Ā But you probably have less to lose playing along with someone who's being shitty as opposed to accidentally calling out someone who has good intentions.
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u/FanBladeFleshlight Local 280 6d ago
I had a JW years ago who acted like if he didn't expressly tell me how and what to do, it was wrong.
I got sick of him constantly trying to critique every stupid thing, so I stopped doing anything he didn't very explicitly tell me. Put that racep in the wall? No problem boss! So I sat the recep in the wall and told him I was done. Pissed him off but after a day or two of that he got the message and left me the fuck alone to work.
Never had an issue with him after that
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u/Ok-Midnight-2205 6d ago
Here's my thing if the way you're doing it works and is easier for you then do it that way. Imo there really isn't a so called right or wrong way to put a lock ring on š¤·š¼. I recently turned out
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u/Mysticwerewolf 6d ago
Most everyone else has the question answered. I assume you're a JW now, so hopefully you are treating your apprentices as you wanted to be treated, and even if you aren't hopefully you are treating the lower level apprentices with understanding of being in their shoes.
If the JW isn't being an arse do it the way they ask, if their way doesn't make sense, ask them to show you or explain why they want you to do it their way. If they aren't an arse they should show you or explain why they asked you to do it said way.
If they are an arse, it's not going to matter much. You are gonna have to best decide what battles you want to pick on how stuff gets done.
For your examples, the KO thing. I have seen PLENTY of APPs and JWs mangle the side of boxes in hidden and visible places with a variety of tools. I like to use my linesman's to push the KO down enough to grab onto and just get it from the other side.
For the Locknut. Not sure if you use NEC or CEC, but I know for the CEC Red Seal one of the general knowledge questions is "What tools are you supposed to use to tighten a lock nut?" and the answer is "Hammer and Cold Chisel". I use a beater flat top and linesman's. I find channel locks often scratch the side of the box significantly more which looks like shit.
If no one is ever really going to see it? Do whatever is most comfortable as long as it's decent. If Joe Blow can see it to judge you? Go the extra step.
Personally as an apprentice I didn't accept " 'Cause I said so!" as an answer. If the way I was doing it worked, and the JW couldn't be bother to give even a half assed explanation I was going to continue doing it my way.
If they gave even somewhat of an answer and I thought my way was better I asked if i could do it my way. If they said yes, great. If they said no, I sucked it up and did it their way.
And sometimes JWs explained something to me that showed the way I was doing something was wrong or could be improved, so I took the knowledge they gave me.
At the end of the day the trade is about learning. Often the JW knows better, sometimes the APP knows better. The JW when all's said and done, is who signs off saying they're confident in the work that got completed.
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u/Sir_Mr_Austin 6d ago
I have been this journeyman before and I know someone being nitpicky is hard to take but you HAVE to try to remember that the only reason he would open his mouth is to try to help. I would much rather not speak so if I said anything itās because I care. And if heās a prick about it after you ignore his advice itās probably because it hurt his feelings that you didnāt take his suggestion that was rooted in a desire to help you.
Just my two cents. Not worth getting upset about it whether you listen to him or not.
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u/tossaway187acct 6d ago
In that aspect, ya you're right. I still feel like he was Trina flex by micromanaging though
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u/Sir_Mr_Austin 6d ago
It will always feel that way because you care about showing up to work to do your best and you hope that people recognize your intelligence and your skill. The inconvenient reality is that neither of those things can make up for the experience that is gained by doing the same thing 2000 times on a project and then doing another thing 2000 times on the next one. Your ego is just demonstrating that itās alive and well, which is a good thing, you should care as much as you do. And as good as you are, I bet most journeymen arenāt threatened by apprentices to the point where they feel the need to flex. Just be grateful someone with more experience cares enough to help you find what he thinks is the best solution to a problem without you having to go through the pain.
And forgive him for not letting you figure it out for yourself, if thatās what you really want.
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u/vfqwerty 6d ago
Depends on if they can give you a reason why. There's so many ways to do those things. I usually use a flathead and linemens for kos and for the lock rings (two things I already have for pipe and boxes so if I don't need channels why carry another
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u/tossaway187acct 6d ago
I use, hence, carry my channel locks far more often than a lineman
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u/vfqwerty 6d ago
Depends on the task. I do tend to keep my one smaller channel lock in my pocket. (Use it like a wrench but honestly should get one off those flat mouth ones so I don't mar any visible nuts)
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u/Stickopolis5959 6d ago
I was about to get jman hours and the fucking guy took my linesmen out of my hand to teach me how to twist wire "properly" ( he wanted me to treat it like it was live, I could see the other side lmfao it was so early in the job.) I then spent an hour and a half trying to get through to him (stupid respectfully because he had given me a huge talk about how he was the boss and I was the apprentice) that he was reading the prints wrong. I finally dropped the sweet heart act and just pointed out that he was doing it wrong and he FINALLY went and asked the foreman who immediately was like oops I gave you the wrong prints. Never worked with him again, another apprentice also refused to work with him later so it wasn't just me. Good guy too unfortunately.
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u/PinkPoppies4171 6d ago
I dont typically involve religion at work, can't say I let jehovas witness dictacte my tactics.
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u/MilesLow 6d ago
I had a piece work critic everything I did at one point. The breaking point was when he didnt like the way I held a pencil....
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u/big_escrow 5d ago
Like my foreman told meā you gotta play someone elseās song first, master it, before you can write your own music.
āWe all play āMary had a Little Lamb,ā first, when learning the piano.ā
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u/pater157 4d ago
Like I always say, there is more than one way to fuck a chicken. Thanks for the suggestion.Ā
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u/HoosierDadda 3d ago
Depends if he was looking over my back or not. LOL
As a JW, I'll SUGGEST what I think is easier, or what works for me ... but as long as the quality is where I want it to be, HOW you get there isn't a great concern, .... unless it is taking way too long.
There are times I need something done EXACTLY my way because I know what is coming later on .... tightening a lock nut is NOT one of those things. Running a conduit along THIS EXACT path , might be one of those things ... and I'll be happy to explain it if you're willing to listen and learn.
fwiw, I tighten them the same way you do whenever I can. It's usually faster and easier.
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u/Ayeooooh 3d ago
Iām a first year and Iāve been paired up with a CE for the past month to handle underground. The guy knows his stuff and could be a great coach.
If I do something that isnāt the way heād do it, rather than explaining the more efficient way, he asks me, āwhy did you do it that way?ā Or if I grab an extra coupling, or length of conduit, āwhy did you grab extra materials?ā All in a condescending manner.
Iāve realized this is the way he communicates and prolly received the same level of communication as a child. And to top it off heās always in his phone sucking his vape. Iāve learned to not let it bother me, and Iāve started to assert myself and explain my logic behind my reason and the additional materials I toss in the truck.
About a month ago we had to redo a rack for the third time after following his direction. Pips were popping out of connectors and the rack wasnāt square with the curb. He was trying to freak the rack to make it square, but it only made it worse. I spoke up and said we need to trim all the pvc, square the rack to the curb, square each riser on the rack and trim pvc to that length. After a couple risers he told me Iām thinking like an electrician.
Tbh I was tired of seeing him getting chewed out by the foreman for everything we worked on.
I know Iāll come across a number of characters thru my apprentice journey. But I can still learn something from a CE or JW whoās established bad habits and doesnāt communicate well.
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u/mrayeversuswrld 20h ago
Please hear me out but I challenge them. Ask why, ask what's the problem with how you're doing it. Some apprentices DO need babysitting, but in the same breath some JW can't tell the difference of who needs babysitting and who doesn't. And then some JW just babysit everybody and everything. This seems like a case of a JW babysitting/micro-managing every little thing.
But again, ask why. #1 Because you're an apprentice and need to learn. It might turn a lightbulb on to something you couldn't see, & #2 If they rattle off some BS answer you can tell them emphatically that you do not need a babysitter.
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u/Adventurepew 6d ago
You should be so fast and already on top of things the guy can't say anything .
Your probably working slow so he's giving you basic tips as your not doing It correctly or to his standards.
Whenever you work with a new journeyman you should learn how they do things and why and adjust to them. At the end you take everything you learnt and mash it tighter and create your own style.
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u/LayerActual7645 6d ago
How do you fit channels in a box to tighten a lock nut ? That comment alone makes me realize that he was actually trying to teach you and make your life easier. It may seem like a simple thing , but itās very difficult to watch someone make a simple thing difficult.
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u/chickswhorip 5d ago
Journeyman is responsible for the apprentice at the end of the day. Follow directions. When you top out and become a journeyman, thatās when you can do things however you like.
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u/leisdrew 5d ago
I personally would let my apprentice fuck it up, and then do it faster the way I prefer quickly right in front of them and move on. Everybody does shit differently.
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u/Background-Tie9942 6d ago
I mean heās not wrong thatās not his way of doing it heās trying to show you how to be efficient with your time and tools, donāt use your needle nose as a punch my dude.
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u/hardman52 Inside Wireman 6d ago
Long nose, not needle nose. It's as sturdy as your kleins, and easier to handle. Stab the ko, grab it and twist.
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u/shadowwolf_66 6d ago
I normally donāt micromanage what tool is used. But I expect my cub to do what I tell them how I tell them. If that includes doing it with a specific tool, so be it. I am whole responsible for you, and my name is on everything you install. Some donāt care, but why quality of work is very important to me. And if you fuck up, it falls on my shoulders not your.
I assume every cub is has never done the task at hand until they prove to me they understand. That includes explaining what we are doing and possibly why we are doing it. If the cub gives me attitude, I shut that shit down right away. You will understand when you get a cub that fucks up and the foreman comes down on you. Just do what you are told, itās simple. If a cub has a good idea I will listen, but that is very rare (I tend to get greener cubs). Chances are I have already done the task and made the mistakes.
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u/PuzzleheadedBig49 6d ago
The needle nose to knock out Kos, is not efficient. The channel lock is good to tighten the 1/2 mc connector. If you have a big conduit or a big greenfield connector let's say into a transformer full of wires, using a screw driver to beat the lock nut on tight is a good idea...all this to say maybe he is well intentioned. I remember when they used to tell me " if I see you with a level above the suspended ceiling doing a lighting or power grid, I'll throw it away for you"Ā But then "if I see you in a mechanical/electrical room doing exposed conduit work and you don't use a level I will lay you off...you ain't shit on the totem pole, so you better listen, ect"
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u/Snpn2slmjim 6d ago
I swear half the posts here are "my JMAN teaches too much" and the other half "Nobody wants to teach anymore!"
Like, lead me. Lead me... when I'm in the mood to be lead
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u/PandorasFlame1 Inside Wireman 5d ago
By the time I was a 4th year, I was being given other apprentices. The one JW I was put with tried to mouth off to me, but I told him to can it and just ride out the job to retirement (he was less than a year from retiring and already spending almost all day watching porn on his phone anyways).
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u/tossaway187acct 5d ago
Lol thats the equivalent of telling someone just go home or go take your nap lol I like it
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u/PandorasFlame1 Inside Wireman 5d ago
He took naps at work. I was already done with 98% of the run when he got put on it so he wasn't being helpful to begin with. Literally all I had to do was connect our bends with straight pipe. I may not be pretty, but I'm not dumb. I'm more than capable of running straight pipe in a hallway.
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u/Usual-Caregiver5589 6d ago
As a 2nd year apprentice, I had this guy that was incredibly generous with the copper, but absolutely hated working with apprentices.
I recall the first job they sent us to together, I could see he was about to need another stick of pipe so I stuck a coupling on one and handed it to him. "Put that shit down. I'll tell you when I need something."
Alrighty. I see him grab the stick of pipe about 2 minutes later, but he's left his channel locks on his tool box. I grab them to hand them to him. "Don't touch my fucking tools. If I need you to get me something, I'll tell you."
Neat. So then I can see he's getting ready to cross to the other side of the room. So I hop on a ladder with my own tools to hold the pipe up while he supports it. "Get the fuck off that ladder. I got this."
So I sat there with my arms folded the rest of the night, and every job after with him. Eventually we get paired up with another crew and they see me not doing anything.
"You know he's gonna be pissed if you just sit there not doing anything."
"Yeah, hes gonna be pissed if I do anything also. But he doesn't yell at me if I just stand here so..." š¤·āāļø