I'm thinking of starting an apprenticeship with the IBEW and I'm curious if anyone in here has experience with the trades and trade union.

  • FactuallyUnscrupulou [he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    I failed my first, and my employer paid for me to retest. I went back to work for him 6 years later and didn't have to pee again since I was already on their books.

    My friends who are electricians used fake piss and never quit, however my friend who drives ready mix abstains totally. DOT licensing is needed to drive a truck though, so it's given they test more.

    • kulak_inspektor [comrade/them]
      ·
      3 years ago

      How do you piss, do they tell yoy ahead of time so you can strap the bottle to your leg, or do they surprise you

      • NaturalsNotInIt [any]
        ·
        3 years ago

        Usually you get about an hour or two notice. A lot of people who go the fake pee leave a bottle in their car with heat pads so they are ready to go.

        For trades jobs, how much you get tested is a bit of a crapshoot. The big construction unions usually require random testing (IBEW definitely). Beyond that, the place you work for a project might require pre-site tests and randoms. Anything in chemical industry, utilities, or oil and gas definitely will, and it's hair testing so you have to abstain completely. Other stuff, less likely.

      • FactuallyUnscrupulou [he/him]
        ·
        3 years ago

        I'm pretty sure in MN employers are required to give 24 hr notice. We have tons of these doctor offices called occupational health clinics, and it's literally just medical staff that preforms drug screening, physicals, and job related injuries. Very easy to smuggle in urine. Show up for your appointment, and viola.

        Now large federal or state jobs can have on site random screenings. My uncle was a union sparky in Alaska, he said he would just abstain while on those big jobs but the pay was worth it.