unoin or residential

go to CT and ask paintbooger. He's union and knows it inside out.

I've done union work, would rather be self employed, but if I did work for someone, it would be the union. There's no comparison when it comes to pay and benefits. Of course, there's the typical cry of low quality, but if you hired 50 guys at a time, that's what's going to happen. I have met some awesome, awesome painters in the union. Being young helps, as it's kind of brutal at times.

One thing to consider is where you are. Different areas have different ways of doing things. One thing for sure, union training (school) in invaluable. I never went. It's another issue to ask about. Depending on your experience they may or may not start you out as a journeyman.

In Chicago, if you want to be in the union, you find a union shop, or a friend in the union. After you get hired, you're with that shop. Chicago does not use the waiting list method. So there is no list to get on.
In Las Vegas, you join the union first, then solicit shops on your own, or, more commonly, sign up on a list and wait for a job call. I don't like the vegas method, becuase you could be #600 on the list, when your name comes up, you may work for 2 weeks, and go back to the bottom of the list. Or you may luck into a year long job. There are all kinds of little rules, like, you could pass on that particular job and wait for the next one, it's a crap shoot. Once in the door, if you impress a company enough, you could be hired on permanently and that's a little better because you go from job to job. Again, in Chicago, you get in with a co. and go from job to job. If you don't like that co. then stick with it until you are known, and go to another co. Also, in the chi. a lot of residential companies are in the union, in vegas you'd have a hard time finding residential union work.

I came to vegas, took the test, plunked down 600 and got a journeymans card. I solicited a little bit, but found my own work and when my name came up I was already working. So, I let the card go. I'm old school and they respect that a lot, but I never got the official union schooling.
So the question is, where are you?
Contact booger in CT, he can really fill you in.

Union pay when I was in (4 years ago) in CT. was $24 an hour. DC was $25, Erie PA was $19, Boston $32. You never make lower than your state or your local and when you go to another state thats hirer you get that pay.
If you sign on with bridge painters, you will paint bridges. If you work commercial buildings, you will cut, roll and spray. They send you to all the schools, usually one dayers, Staging, osha, safety, etc.
I was with one of the big decorative painting co. and worked between Philly and Boston. You didnt usually get more than 40 hrs a week unless it was a push at the end or your painting a church ceiling and your not done but the 45 ft staging you on is dropping in 2 days! You might get a ton of overtime then.
Detroit and SF. CA. have paid vacations. Only ones left. If, like me, a job ends (church, state capitol etc.) and you never get your 6 months straight work, you get no benefits. You might get called in a few weeks later and work another 4 months.....no benefits. Funny how that seemed to work for 3 years. I had a house in P'cola though and would just collect unemployment, sit on the beach and wait for the next big job. Had fun but the road gets old after a while. But if you have a shop that stays close to home and keeps you busy, it takes stress away from a slow business.