[98tadriver]

Originally Posted by EchoMirage

the classes has nothing to do with being laid off or not when youre in a union. trust me. it all has to do with the job, the economy, the market, if the foreman like you, etc. its not what you know, its who you know. plus, Ron is still an apprentice, so there isnt much he can do about it. now is the slow time for everyone. i was out for 5 months 2yrs ago. from 2nd week in sept. till mid feb. luckily, im out of my time now, and times are amazingly good for fitters out of 274. you can pick and choose your job from 3 prospects the day you get laid off. collecting is great when its not for long, and if you dont have alot of bills. i have a big mortage, so if im laid off for a while, things might get tight. other then that......its a paid vacation. i was out for a month earlier this summer. i detailed every car i own, did the suspension and tires/rims on the 02, fixed up my new garage.

yep, you know what i mean. im in my last year of apprenticeship, the only classes ive ever taken since ive been in the union was for my apprenticeship. im not super tight with the BA, so sometimes i might not be employed 52 weeks out of the year, but i have a good rep in the union. hopefully i luck out again and work inside all winter like last year, for the most part. the only time i think i ever did those stupid classes was before i got into the carpenters union. and those unemployment classes do suck so bad