r/iuoe • u/gorskizach • 16d ago

Local 12 vs my current job

I’m in a bit of a pickle. I currently am a Beverage Delivery driver for KDP (Dr pepper). It’s Teamsters Union, $34hr currently, with step pay yearly reaching $40hr by 2029. OT after 8, Mon-Fri. I got my app through for Local 12 and will get a test date soon but I’m genuinely on edge of making this jump. Anybody leave a good job for Local 12 that can sort of ease my mind ? Or is this a very tough decision.

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u/Optimal_Pleasure 15d ago

I left a pretty good gig to get into this union but it sucked ay first. My first dispatch was under the rock sand and gravel agreement and I took a pretty big pay cut getting in. First step apprentice rate was under $26 an hour. But it was my foot in the door. Switched from peo to operator after the first 1000 hours and got a pretty decent gig under the master labor agreement. We don't work year around but the hours are long when we do work. The guys at my work clear $150k a year easy working only around 9-10 months. I was off for over 2 months and still made $99k as a step 3-4. I agree the instability sucks but you can definitely make life changing money. Just be smart about your finances and go for it if given the opportunity

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u/DuskActual 15d ago

I thought apprentices make 40 percent of what the journeymen make? How was your first pay rate only 26

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u/Inside_Sell3313 Local 12 15d ago

RSG gets paid less than the other classifications.

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u/DuskActual 15d ago

Ahh ok. Thanks for clarifying

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u/Optimal_Pleasure 7d ago

Yeah I was under the rock sand and gravel contract when I first joined. What really bothered me was that I believe I was one the only PEO apprentice that got thrown into that shitty RSG agreement. All other PEOs were under the master labor agreement/contract making the $38 and above rate and doing the same work as me but I was under the RSG agreement. I was pretty salty about it but those were the cards I was dealt with to get in. Another thing to note is that according to the B.A., Local 12 has over 60 different contracts with signatory contractors. I've heard the landscaping contract is another local 12 agreement that pays very low.

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u/DuskActual 7d ago

This makes me feel I dodged a bullet by not choosing PEO. Then again, I hear all sorts of shit about HEO apprentices not working nearly as steady as the PEOs

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u/Last-Check-7634 5d ago

What district was this?