Greetings all,
Getting out of the Army soon, my family and I are moving to Hawaii (had enough of living in ugly places after 9 years of service to the US), my Dad, who is already living in Hawaii wants me to starta construction company with him. I’m reasonably comfortable with my skills and I don’t really have any fears about starting out. Any tips from those of you out there who have made a go of it. By the way I’ll be joining the carpenter’s local when I get there, I expect to be declared either a journeyman carpenter based on my military training and experience or at least given an increased level as an apprentice.
Big Wil
Replies
Read the fine print when you talk to the union. I'm pretty sure one condition of holding an active journyman's card is that you agree not to act as a "contractor". Seems contrary to what you said about starting a company with your Dad.
It might be different in Hawaii, but I'm almost positive that's the rule here in Western Washington.
Jim,
things may be a little different now.
I actually talked in depth with a local carpenters union rep about converting my business to a union shop.(The local here has a category for shingle work).
Basically the Union would have been MORE than happy to sign up me and all my crew. I was getting ready to start a prevailing wage project on a church building and needed wage and benefit info.
I was pleased to learn that I was already paying over union scale for my non-union direct employees. If my work level was more consistent I would DEFINITELY convert just for the benefit package for my employees.
Yeah, but I'm pretty sure they would have signed you up as a Union Contracor, and your crew as union roofers (or whatever the applicable title). No sweat for you, but if one of your crew wanted to do a little side work, or maybe take the plunge and get licensed for theirself, they would have to withdraw from the union to legally do that.
All I'm saying is, if this guy is interested in taking advantage of working under union benefits and conditions, he probably shouldn't be thinking about becoming a contractor with his Dad. Or, if he wants to start a contracting business, he might not want to join the union as a carpenter - the two ideas just seem contradictory, that's all.
Jim,
I am afraid I am not making myself clear.
As it was explained to me------although I am technically the "contractor"---it's really a mom&pop business. I would have personally been on the books as a Union Carp. and so would all of my employees.
this local has a seperate classification for residential work----to help make Union labor cost competitive with non-union shops. the residential classification gets the same Benefits package as the commercial/industrial----but there is a lower wage scale. The contractor is ,of course, free to pay OVER the union wage scale----- which I already do.
there really were/are very fewsticking points. the costs involved were not a factor---as I already was paying the rates required.
It's really a different world now, and some carpenters locals are making real efforts to become players in the residential market.any small contractor struggling with forming a respectable wage/benefit/retirement package along with training new workers would be well advised to AT LEAST look into this.
Glad to hear you're in the Army, and not the country club. (Air Force)
There's a thread here about once a week with someone wanting advice about starting out on their own. You could try the advanced search on the word "start" or something like that, and it should turn up dozens of threads.
Don't hang it up yet ...
Hang it out first.
Jeff
Buck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Fine Carpentery.....While U Waite