Don’t think its “technically” considered professional advice (since I’m just looking for general info), but not sure where else to turn. I have been apart of the corporate world for a while, and even though I follow all the rules, my companies consistently find ways/loopholes to screw me over.
Are there any industries or careers that are kind of easy to get into with strong union protections?
When I say “easy” I understand there will be education involved, but I already have a degree and am scared to waste more money and time (for seemingly nothing) again.
I have no desire to get rich or anything, I’m just hoping to get ideas on what I can pivot my career to so I can support myself and my loved ones without worry of the rug being pulled out from under me again.
Don’t know about where you live but jobs like plumbers, electricians, etc. usually have good salaries and good unions. Often times there are food jobs to find as well because most people don’t want to do these jobs.
Pretty much any “trade” job will have what you’re looking for. Most have good unions.
Probably the only trade that is the exception to that would be the trucking industry. This is where I am.
Decent pay, relatively easy to enter, but it’s a lifestyle, not so much a job and the Teamsters (the main trucking union) and I very much don’t get along. That is an understatement due to community and instance guidelines. We’ve had… words.
If you’re in the USA, I cannot understate how useful it may be to refer to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’s (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), a resource which I believe has no direct comparison:
How can I learn about an occupation that is of interest to me?
The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) provides information on what workers do; the work environment; education, training, and other qualifications; pay; the job outlook; information on state and area data; similar occupations; and sources of additional information for more than 300 occupational profiles covering about 4 out of 5 jobs in the economy.
That is to say, the plumbing for water supply, as compared to drainage or sewer pipe, which are generally perceived as less appealing.
I once knew a plumber who hadn’t yet learned to never look into a blackwater pipe (i.e. it’s coming from the toilet.). he learned after somebody flushed.
My brother is a journeyman plumber in Seattle WA. He only does new pipe on metal frame (big buildings) for new build. He makes $130k a year not counting overtime.
Great job. Amazing job.
Over head garage door repair. No where enough people doing the work and the older crowd retiring. Takes a few years to really understand what you are doing but Damn you can make money.
In case you’re looking for something more white collar, I have found working for government prime contractors to be a sweet spot. I know, it feels gross to work for “the man” or to be the ones taking in those tax dollars, but hear me out.
The work is well defined, they are very often unionized, even the office staff, and it’s essentially guaranteed employment as long as you want to work there. I’ve also found that putting in what I consider pretty normal levels of effort is highly rewarded because often the bar is pretty low by those that have been in the various companies for decades that no longer care. As long as you guard against professional apathy and keep driving yourself to do the best you can, it’s can be a great sector to work in.
I would suggest looking for ones you don’t already know the names of though (often small subsidiaries of the larger companies are fine). Battelle for instance operates almost all of the DoE national labs and I hear from colleagues they are a good company with labs all over the country that need scientists, engineers, accountants, IT pros, facility folks, etc.
Labor jobs! Low Voltage Technicians specifically have a great union. I’ve never been without a job for longer than a few weeks (and getting calls constantly from people wanting to hire/help me find a new job).
Labor sucks though. I would probably trade it for a desk job any day just to save my body, but id likely take a pay reduction and hate being stuck to a chair all day.
Really depends on what you want to do!
I’ve heard they’ll take just about anyone willing to learn to be a train conductor and it’s supposed to pay well after a few years.
Can agree. My friend went this route a couple decades back Has huge house and kids now. The kids are skinny, but he has a few
Warning: You basically get no time off. Even when you’re off, you’re expected to be on-call. And no, you’re not paid extra for that.
With the rise of computers, railroad scheduling got precise. It eventually reached a point where railroad companies began cutting workers, because they were able to bounce one conductor from train to train the same way airlines bounce pilots from one flight to the next. They cut so many workers that it got to the point where a single sick person can bring the entire system to a screeching halt. Instead of actually keeping enough people on the roster to actually fill their needs, they just started implementing increasingly strict attendance policies, to the point that railroad workers have basically zero time off.
This led to the 2022 strike, where railroad workers were eventually allowed one day of PTO per year. They’re either working or on call for the other 364 days.
Explore the trades. Welding and wind turbine repair is in high demand I’m told. With a degree you could potentially find your way into a management position too.
