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  • Referral FAQ's
    Updated On: Aug 07, 2019
    • Local 531 Job Referral Procedures

      If you are ready to go to work, check on available jobs daily. Jobs are listed on the Job Information Jobline and on our website at the end of the business day. Phone 219-362-2979

      Frequently asked questions.  Below is a long list of questions about resign, turn downs and short calls.

      All applicants must resign between the 10th and 16th of each month.  Applicants can either resign in person, by fax, online at www.ibewlocal531.org, or email at resign@ibewlocal531.org

      Calls are put on the recorder and online by 5:00 pm daily.  If you are interested in a call, you must call the "Job Line" or go online between 5:00 pm and 9 am the next day.  Calls will be filled from 9:00 am til 10:30 am.  Please DO NOT call asking if you got the call.  If you bid on a call, please stay by your phone.  All efforts will be made to contact you in a timely manner but we will have to move past you if you do not answer or call back promptly.

      IBEW Local 531 is in Central Time Zone

      Sign-in Times are 7:30 am - 4:30 pm Monday - Friday  

      Re-Sign Questions

      Q. Do i have to resign the book the same month as my Original Sign?  Ans.  No. As before, if you sign the book on any day in a month, you are signed for that month. For example, if you sign on April 3rd, you will NOT have to resign for April but will if you are still on the book in May.

      Q.  Do i have to resign the book every month?  Ans. Yes.  You must resign every month if you wish to remain on the "out of work list"  

      Q. Can I come in to sign the book and  register on the out of work list on re-sign day?  Ans. Of course, this has always been the case.

      Q. Can I still have my Business Manager fax my re-sign into the Local 531 office as before?  Ans. Absolutely, but it must be between the 10th and 16th of the re-sign month. This has not changed.

      Q. Can I re-sign on any day of the re-sign month?  Ans. No. , we only accept re-signs between the 10th and 16th of the re-sign month.

      Q. Does my local need a special form to use for re-sign?  Ans. No.  Anything on your local's letterhead from your local union with your name and card number will do.  For multiple members from the same local, a list is acceptable.
      Incidentally, a "Roster" of  specific local applicants is faxed to each Indiana local business  manager for their convenience.  They can simply strike through those names that need to be removed and fax the very same list back to us.

      Q. How do I find out what my new position is after re-sign day? Ans. It will be posted on the Local 531 website late during the business day of the 17th of the RESIGN MONTH

      Q. How would referrals be handled on the 17th?  The  list will be adjusted prior to completing any referrals following re-sign.

      Q. If I forgot to re-sign between the 10th and 16th, why can't I just re-sign on any day the next week?  Ans. Sorry, but once we have adjusted the list in accordance with re-sign, we will not keep re-adjusting the list due to a lack of responsibility on your part.  Too many people  would be negatively affected. (One is too many) This has alway been the case.

      Q. How are turndowns administered?   Ans.  Currently, IBEW Local 531 has suspended its turndown policy.

      Note: Often a contractor will give a description of the type of work needed to be done, but this does not mean it is a specialty skill, only a description of the work and/or environment.

      Q. What is a "Journeyman Wireman Welder"?   Fundamental welding and torch skills are expected of any Journeyman who takes a Journeyman Wireman Welder call.  You will be responsible for basic welding and fabricating of brackets and supports for various electrical equipment.  You will also be required to perform Journeyman Wireman work such as running conduit, pulling wire, etc.  You are NOT restricted to welding only!

      Q. Should I bid on a call even if I can't weld? NO! If you lack the skill for any job, you should not bid on the job and accept the referral.  If you accept a job and cannot perform the work, you will be sent back and will lose your position on the book!

      Q. If I bid on a call, get it, then change my mind and not report for work, do i lose my spot on the book?  Ans. You will be removed from the Out of Work list.  This is the same if you accept a call, then quit or get terminated for justifiable cause.   If you don't want the job don't bid on it. 

      General Referral Questions

      Q. If I get a job, what do I do next?  You will be instructed what to do at that time. Typically, you will need to pick up your referral the same day that the job(s) were assigned. In some cases, the hall can just email the information.  For example, if a contractor requests a Journeyman on a Thursday, it will be placed on the website and jobline that Tuesday evening, bids will be collected at 9am on Wed. morning. That same day (Wed.) the applicant would then pick up the referral (or email), fill out any necessary paperwork, go for an initial or follow up drug screen if necessary, and start work the following day on Thursday.

      Q. When will I be called if I get a job?   Ans. As soon as possible. Typically, it is within a hour of the close of referral, however, when mulitple calls are involved, large #'s of JW's requested, or a mix of short calls and long calls, it can take several hours to collate the list and make all of the proper calls to you. 

      Q. When will benefits be reported?     Any hours worked in a month are not required to be reported to the NECA office until the 15th of the following month.   NECA takes about a week to process it and the funds are then sent to the various funds offices. They will take a few days to process as well. RECIPROCAL HOURS will take even longer, up to 6 weeks after the report date of the 15th. Example: hours earned the first week of August won’t be available until the fourth week of Sept. at the earliest.

      Q. Vacation Fund? The vacation fund is a 4% deduct from your gross pay. As per the CBA, this amount can vary from 4, 6, 8, or 10% of your gross pay.  It is deposited in an account in your name in the First Trust Credit Union. This is a liquid account that allows you to withdraw funds as they are deposited. (See "Q. When will benefits be reported?" above)

       Short Call Questions

      Q. What does "short call rotation" mean? Do I have to sign a separate list to be considered for short calls?  Ans. There is no separate list to sign.  Everyone who is registered on the Out of Work List is considered for a short call.  Once you recieve a short call, you will be "rotated" to the bottom of the short call rotation if the call is longer than 14 days. For example,  if there were 100 applicants on  Book II and you were #10 on both Book II and #10 on the short call rotation and took a short call, you would then be rotated to #100 on the short call rotation while retaining #10 on Book II upon completion of the short call provided it was longer than 14 days.  Fourteen days or less, you will retain your position on both the short call rotation and Book II.

      Q. Can I bid on a permanent call and a short call on the same day if available?  Ans. Yes, list your bids in the order you would like to be considered for a call.  i.e. if your first choice was a 3 month long call and your second choice was a short call, you would be sent on the long call if it was still available when the calls got down to your name. If the long call was filled and the short call was still available you would recieve the short call.  Keep in mind that the short call rotation number is used for assigning short calls.

      Q. Can I quit a short call to take a permanent call?  NO

      Q. Can I bid on a permanent call while I am on a short call?  Ans. Only if your short call is scheduled to end before the report date of the permanent call. For example, if your short call ends on a Wednesday,  you could bid on a call that is scheduled to start on Thursday or after.  Simply stated, if you have fullfilled your short call comittment and are available to take a call, take it. ( As long as you are terminated with an ROF, Reduction Of Forces)

      Q. Can I work a short call in another local and maintain my position on local 531's Out of Work List?  Yes, as long as the short call is within the same description of a "short call" in Local 531 which in Local 531 is limited to 14 calender days.  (If you started on a Wednesday, you would end on Tuesday.)

       


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