greetings from dirty Jersey | Squat the Planet

greetings from dirty Jersey

novadarling

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Fort Mohave, AZ
What's up fellow miscreants and marauders. I'm in Jersey City and looking for some adventure. Trouble is I've never hit the road and I'm looking for some pointers. The more I see the snow fall, the more I want out of the northeast endless winter. I've been a union carpenter for over a year, but even all the bread and honey it provided me couldn't keep my mind locked up. I've got some friends in various places around the country but they lead square lives with square jobs. Hope to meet some of you, get some pointers for pursuing a life of happiness, and provide whatever advice I may have. May the odds forever be in our favor.
 

Tude

Sometimes traveler is traveling.
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Well hello! Welcome aboard - sounds like you have the itch to travel. You may want to try one of our sub forums to start - "Getting There" Lots of good information there on all forms of travel. Have fun and stay safe when you decide to get up and go! :)
 
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Kim Chee

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Welcome.

Toughest hitching I ever did was in Jersey City. The trucker who finally gave me a ride ended up driving away with the minimal gear I had with me::arrgh:: after we were a couple states down the road. Fortunately, I wasn't carrying anything valuable and the weather was decent.
 

Odin

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I've been a union carpenter for over a year

Welcome. Good intro there.

If you don't mind me asking how is the union carpentry gig?
The unions still worth anything or are they just bringing in new blood at just a fraction of what the old timers made?
I don't know anything much about carpentry (built a poplar stool once in shopclass with bandsaw, plane, clamps and glue.)ithink( just asking.
 

Kal

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Welcome to STP. Need to know something STP is a well of information. Hell I have learned some new and interesting things since joining and I have been traveling off and on since the 90s. STP rocks.
 

kaichulita

soul rebel
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Hey there and welcome! You can find a bunch of advice and info on StP; just check out the different sections on the home page. For a start, I would look in to figuring out what kind of traveling you would like to do and then look into what kind of gear you will need. For any questions, try the search bar first and if you find nothing, you are more than welcome to post your own questions up. Have fun :)
 

novadarling

Member
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Location
Fort Mohave, AZ
    1. Welcome. Good intro there.
If you don't mind me asking how is the union carpentry gig?
The unions still worth anything or are they just bringing in new blood at just a fraction of what the old timers made?
I don't know anything much about carpentry (built a poplar stool once in shopclass with bandsaw, plane, clamps and glue.)ithink( just asking.
Thank you for the welcome. As far as the union goes, its been a mostly positive learning experience. I
Welcome. Good intro there.

If you don't mind me asking how is the union carpentry gig?
The unions still worth anything or are they just bringing in new blood at just a fraction of what the old timers made?
I don't know anything much about carpentry (built a poplar stool once in shopclass with bandsaw, plane, clamps and glue.)ithink( just asking.
To be honest, my experience with the union has been 50/50. Jersey City has a lot of projects happening for the foreseeable future, including a casino with a tower rumored to have been designed taller than the record-setter in Dubai. As an apprentice, the starting pay is $17.40/hour plus benefits, which is equal to 60% of a journeyman's rate. Once everybtwo months, you have to take a week off of work to attend class. Every 100 hours of school (6 months) nets a pay increase of 5% of the journeyman's rate. My current rate as 2nd year first half apprentice is $21 and change per hour (apprenticeship takes 5 years in NJ).

Part of the reason I've decided to leave NJ and the 5 is because of the corruption in the business. If you don't have family in the business, it's nearly impossible to get work unless yoy pay someone off, which i won't. Bottom line is There's potential but I got too frustrated.
 
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