Outage questions

[AndersonSJ]

I have looked through a number of different threads concerning outages and had a couple questions.
I am currently residing in the Pacific Northwest. I was a Nuclear Chemical Operator on the Hanford Reservation. I  deconned and removed vacuum lines in the Plutonium finishing Plant. Got a RIF notice 18 months ago, there was talk of call backs so I waited a few months on unemployment then went to work for a non union carpenter. I am looking to get back into the nuke field and heard about an outage close by after they had hired out. After talking to some friends who Was hoping someone had some advice as to which way to find work as a deconner or a carpenter. I am not a union carpenter so if I wanted to go in as a craft would I have to join my local union or.. just trying to figure out what is best for my family.

any advice or wisdom is helpful,

S

[UncaBuffalo]

I have looked through a number of different threads concerning outages and had a couple questions.
I am currently residing in the Pacific Northwest. I was a Nuclear Chemical Operator on the Hanford Reservation. I  deconned and removed vacuum lines in the Plutonium finishing Plant. Got a RIF notice 18 months ago, there was talk of call backs so I waited a few months on unemployment then went to work for a non union carpenter. I am looking to get back into the nuke field and heard about an outage close by after they had hired out. After talking to some friends who Was hoping someone had some advice as to which way to find work as a deconner or a carpenter. I am not a union carpenter so if I wanted to go in as a craft would I have to join my local union or.. just trying to figure out what is best for my family.

any advice or wisdom is helpful,

S

This seemed apropos, so... http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,36522.msg173186.html#msg173186

As Old HP points out...and as you already knew from your RIF at Hanford...it's a really tough time to be working nuclear, but...

Good luck!  

[AndersonSJ]

Yeah, I understand the difficulty of the times for sure. There is a shortage of work I can see.

Thanks for the reply

[Content1]

You didn't mention how many years you worked in the nuclear field. I was informed by other "long-time in the field" technicians, when the stimulus package came out, Hanford did a massive hiring of people. When the money ended they did a massive laying off a people. It was claimed that many of the people hired for the stimulus package were not given sufficient training so that when the layoffs came, and they competed with other longer-term better trained technicians, they were at a disadvantage when there were few outages and few positions.  If you are one of these "stimulus" technicians, you have to decide if you wish to join the fray are willing to be at the bottom again and go anywhere, you eventually will find openings.  If you are longer-term and pre-stimulus trained technician, you have to be like "Avis" and try harder and you will prevail.

[AndersonSJ]

I was hired in off the street due to the stimulus money. So I had only been in the Nuclear industry for a couple years when I was laid off. The claims that the training was not sufficient is not true in my case. The training was on par with industry standards from the contract employees I worked alongside. Thanks for the insight, it was most helpful.

[Content1]

Training is what you make of it; sounds like you did well with your time.  You seem to feel confident, so go for it if you stand the traveling.  It just takes persistence.

[AndersonSJ]

Training is what you make of it; sounds like you did well with your time.  You seem to feel confident, so go for it if you stand the traveling.  It just takes persistence.

So what you are saying is that I need to be persisent and pursue decon and carpentry? To do carpentry do I need to belong to a union?

[Content1]

I knew a traveling tech who did both. Off season, he did piecework.   With the growth of the building industry carpentry should come back.  If your state is a union one, you may have no choice.