Steel industry

[Scrambler]

Possible career switch in 2008 for Scrambler?

I've been given an invitation from a few friends to join them in their company Lower Mainland Steel. I have to admit, I have always considered that working in trades is much more well suited to me instead of serving tables or sitting behind a desk.

Just curious to know if there are any steel workers in the CP community and if they could offer any input/advice. Thanks!

[BlackArcher101]

Prepare to be dirty all the time. And not the good kind of dirty.

[Winsor_Pilates]

I don't know much about the work, but I know some high profile people in mining and it is huge money!!
Is there much steel in BC? or do they work elsewhere and just operate in BC?

[Ford Prefect]

It really depends on what type of steel company it is and what your job will be. I worked for about five years for a couple steel mills in Calgary that fabricated pipe for the oil patch. It was pretty mindless work, but it paid well. If it's a smelting mill rather than a fabrication plant then the work can get pretty ugly. That's if you're employed as a steel worker rather than an office guy. Probably about the best jobs I saw in the mills I worked were the tradesmen (millwrights, electricians, welders) and the guys in the lab (metallurgists). It's definitely blue collar ... I doubt you'll find anybody to discuss poetry with in a steel mill. Count on working shiftwork, which is hard on relationships. As I said though, the pay is good. That's about all that's good about a steel mill however.

[CaptainCrunch]

You should talk to Tron, I think he's involved in that industry.

[Tron_fdc]

I sure am. Metal casting to be exact.....what do you need to know?

[Vulcan]

Googling Lower Mainland Steel shows it's a re-bar company. This job will put you in good shape or else. It's heavy work and you won't have to go the gym. I've done it a bit when I was 19 or 20 as part of my apprenticeship but moved on to Structural Steel which I enjoyed a lot more. It paid good union wages and when times are good you can take your pick of jobs.

One job I enjoyed was operating the bending machine in the yard at a dam construction. The machines were pretty basic in those days and I had to do all the math with using various wheels and lengths and widths of rods to get the exact bend and size.

[Sylvanfan]

Yeah, LMS, is a concrete and rebar company based out of Vancouver and now setting up in Calgary. Re-inforcing steel, is very different than structural steel, it's a lot more related to the foundations and concrete than traditionally steel. Probably a labour job more than a trade. Hauling, bar and placing it. Occasionally you get dowels and the like that might need some bending, but nothing like being a Structural Steel Fabricator, welder, or Erector. I'd just caution to be wary of a company willing to take on anyone with no experience type of thing. Construction is still in a boom, but I don't know for how much longer in terms of residential, lighter commercial stuff where I would guess that they do most of their work.

[Vulcan]

I'd suggest you go to the Ironworkers Union, Local 97. It's just off Broadway. They handle all the union hiring for re-bar and Structural Steel in BC. If there are openings, they'll start you off on an apprenticship program that follows all the safety rules and you'll get proper training. If you aren't to scared of heights, I'd go into the structural steel erection side. This way you can also get a welding ticket and get into fabrication and or working with miscellaneous steel. There are a number of different jobs there such as connecting and rigging and I took some pride in being able to do them all. Of course there are other trades to consider too.

[Scrambler]

Thanks all for your comments/advice, especially the last one from Vulcan. I found the email I got back from HR was a very interesting read. Definitely getting closer to making this decision:

Patrick

Thank you for your email. It sounds like you want to get involved with "flat Iron" steel structure erection. Very good trade, there's lots of travel around the province if that interests you. One concern is the down time in "flat iron", meaning it is a specific trade that is hard to work year round. Having said that, the wages and benefits work out to be between $28.00 to $38.00 per hour for a five year journeyman.

At LMS we do not do "flat iron", we place the reinforcing steel in concrete. Our trade isn't as glamorous as "flat iron", but we work year round and there is absolutely no down time. We call our trade "steel fixers", our top wages are exactly as the ones above. The big benefits working for LMS; work is local with the opportunity to go to Vancouver Island or Alberta, we are independently owned and operated so our owners are hands on. We are all treated with respect and dignity, the owners are always giving back to the employees, i.e.. family functions, Christmas Parties, Sporting event tickets concert tickets etc.

There is no formal institutional training for our field. To get started we put all new hires thru our 5 day training and orientation class. It runs every Monday thru to Friday from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm. LMS pays you to go thru the training, when you get into the field your wage gets bumped up to $14.00. When you have worked 3 months you are eligible to receive upto a $2.00 per hour wage. At 6 months you are eligible for upto another $2.00 raise. From that point on, it is up to you, if your attendance is perfect and you continue to learn the trade your raises will continue till you hit our journeyman's wage of $26.00 plus benefits. If you choose to become a foreman your rate will be $27.00 to $30.00 plus benefits and bonuses.

Hope this helps with your decision making.

Andrew