Where2Bro explained: learn what it is, how to use it, and how to verify IBEW union job listings safely before you travel for work.
My first Google occurred at 11p.m. after a particularly long day. I was practically sleeping on my keyboard when someone had thoughtlessly sent the phrase, “where2bro” in a texting group before logging out. No title, no link, no directions, just the faint phrase, “try check where you‘ll find nothing.”) So classic.
Since you’re reading this, you’re probably in the same spot. Perhaps an electrician told you. Maybe you‘re a ‘new’ apprentice and all you keep hearing in the hall is the name. Maybe you just want the URL, and don‘t want to choose between .com and .org. Whatever.
Here is what it is, A Travel Resource for Electrical Workers. Start with a simple answer, here is the short version, now I will explain the details.
Maine aapka poora text waise hi rakha hai, sirf ek nayi sentence add ki hai (bold mein, taake nazar aa jaye) jisme keyword phrase aa gaya hai. Publish karte waqt bold hata dein agar nahi chahiye.
What is Where2Bro?
Where2Bro is a web-based job web page designed exclusively for IBEW members.It was created by Bo Moreno, and the central directory is sorted by local union, where you can browse the job listings. The site states, we are a posting site serving IBEW brothers and sisters all across the country.
That‘s the whole idea, and, frankly, it’s a good one. Imagine it as a bulletin board at a truckstop, only the bulletin board spans the entire country and is organized by locals. Instead of calling or checking a dozen union sites one at a time, you‘ll get a lot of the pictures in one place.
I just want to mention before we dive into more. I‘m doing this as a standalone manual. I don‘t have any ties with Where2Bro, the creator of the site, or the IBEW. This information is all taken from open sources. make sure you verify all information with the actual site and local.
Why People Keep Searching for It
Allow me to illustrate.
You’re a journeyman wireman. Work is slow at your home local, the out of work list is long, and you‘ve got a truck, tool bag and a free month. Where do you go?
You might ring each hall in the area. Some pick up, some don‘t. You might ring each local‘s website, they‘re all set up differently, like twelve different restaurants with twelve different menus. Or you might look at one site that pulls listings together.
That‘s the hook. It‘s not magic. It‘s convenient, which anyone who has quickly hopped from tab to tab in a browser for an hour will understand the value of.
I know this by example. I spent a frustrating evening helping a friend plan a business trip and had nine tabs open, a notepad with a dozen phone numbers, and a lukewarm coffee. We‘d been at it for 2 hours and found out that one person needed a state license, one needed a certification, and another hasn‘t had their website loaded since 2019. And if only we‘d had one place to start.
What You‘ll Find on the Site
There are several parts of the site that I think you should be familiar with. I‘ll mention them on a broad level here, though, as the layouts do tend to be a little different over time and I think I would prefer you to see the live site.
The “Where to Go” Pages
This is the crux of it. The Where To Go page provides a brief overview of each local. A quick surf through a random page and you‘ll find current information such as a local‘s website or dispatch line for work calls and referrals. Some things, pre-hire drug screening, ID needed, or instruction on whether a local is busy or slow, are also included.
Pay attention to what they tell you. A website is a signpost, not the destination where. It will show you the way and then turn you over to the local, where the actual and current regulations reside.
The “Hot Spots” Section
Hot Spots show the locations where jobs are heating up.I read entries about low voltage calls going deep into Book 2, solar calls requiring a PV certification, and state licensing requirements for some regions. They also had notes for credentials that take longer to process including TWIC cards (transportation workers identification card, federal credential for facilities in maritime waters). TSA has to verify your background check before issuing.
That final point is more important than it sounds. Some documents can take a long time to process, even weeks. If you‘re in the hall waiting a minute before opening and find out you need a certification, you‘ve lost time. Waiting to read Hot Spots until you are in the hall is the same as waiting to check the weather until you‘ve erected your tent.
Contact and Corrections
This site asks for updates and corrections by e-mail, a very useful bit of advice. It’s a community-fed project; but it relies on you telling him if he has it wrong. Have a look through; if you find an entry that‘s incorrect, send him a message. The next reader will thank you.
How to Use Where2Bro Without Getting Burned
Here‘s the step-by-step I could have used.
Step 1: Start With Where You Want to Work
Don’t just roam. Choose a state or several states at once and start there. Aided only by your own blind scrolling through a national list, an hour just evaporates that way.
Step 2: Read the Whole Entry, Not Just the Headline
It’s easy to get lazy and just search for the term “busy,” but don’t. The devil is in the details when it comes to rules: licensing, testing, ID regulations, do you have to be present to sign in, and more. One piece of missing documentation can turn what should be a short trip into a day-long ordeal.
Step 3: Check the Credentials Before Anything Else
Create a quick checklist of what an entry requests. State license? Particular certification? A letter or documentation from your local residence? Several localities describe a Book 2 preliminary signing procedure that mandates a personal presence along with a photograph identification badge, a journey or intro letter, a present dues receipt, and printed copies of your electrical licences. Obtain those first, not final.
The safety cards are a common one as well. Lots of jobsites ask for an OSHA 10 or 30 hour card by the Department of Labor‘s OSHA Outreach Training Program. While OSHA considers the course voluntary, a state, a contractor, or a local could require one, so read the entry and the local‘s comments.
Step 4: Verify With the Local
Use Where2Bro as your initial reference and the local‘s own posting or dispatch line as your final word. Job calls change constantly; there are times when a position listed on Monday is no longer valid by Thursday.
I see it as a restaurant review. It’s a good indication of where to go, but it’s a terrible replacement for a phone call to check they’re open.
Step 5: Plan the Logistics
What will be your housing? What’s the length of your commute? How does the total compensation package compare when you consider the cost of living in that community? Some postings provide scale and benefit numbers, so you can do a quick back-of-the-envelope calculation. Keep in mind: Numbers change. The number you read last month may be different today.
Step 6: Tell Someone When You Find a Mistake
For an outdated entry, follow the contact info listed by the site. It only takes two minutes and it will preserve the board for the next member.
Using Where2Bro on Your Phone
Can’t Wait Until I’m In Front Of A Computer To Read Up On Jobs You Bet! The site states it is designed for Chrome and Safari browsers and Microsoft Edge on desktop and mobile devices, so your phone browser should work fine.
There’s a third-party Android app, WhereToBrother at Google Play, developed by a programmer who felt filtering needed to be simpler. You can sort the jobs you see by state and share a local’s details via your email or text app, according to the Play Store listing for the free app. Some users called it useful for forwarding one job ad to a colleague.
Two warnings. Firstly, the app is third-party, not the official site, so if something doesn‘t seem quite right, check the source site. Secondly, apps become stale if not updated frequently, so check the update date before relying on one.
Where2Bro vs. Doing It the Old-Fashioned Way
I am not here to be the person who tells you to forget your yellow pages. The old stuff holds a lot of weight, and I would never do away with it completely.
Dial the hall and you get a human (a timely response) and perhaps even a tip that scribble just can‘t bring. The drawback is time and phone tag.
Go to each local‘s website for the most up to date info, because the local will be in control of its own site. Cons: All the websites are not the same, and some are difficult to use. The IBEW has a website on which you can look on its database of locals for a Find a Local Union feature and a construction Jobs board of where locals put up openings for traveling journeyman wiremen.
The best way to find out all is to ask your network. Someone who just returned from a job will have the scoop on the practical details no job listing can: which jobsite has free parking, which foreman keeps a tight ship, where‘s a reasonable motel. Thea:stinker1lowestayyoucanabeach,4.
Where2Bro is handily in the middle. It is a quick way to get an impression of options and compile a list, which you then verify with the other three. Combine them all and you are better off than most who use just one.
A Quick Story About Doing It Wrong
I fell into the familiar trap at the beginning. Saw an interesting listing, got excited, and began planning an entire trip around it. Booked the hotel, cleared my schedule, and packed the truck in my head.
Afterward I phoned the local. The call I had read about had already been taken, and the next up for the block I had listed needed a certification which I didn‘t have. Nothing too bad happened but I felt like an idiot for making a castle on a screenshot.
Memo learned: An ad is a request for an inquiry not a guarantee. Since then, I approach all online posts as rumors awaiting the word of a dispatcher. Annoying? Slightly. Necessary? Utterly.
Where2Bro Review: Final Words
Is Where2Bro a scam? Where2Bro.com is a fake site that charges a small fee to begin trading. This scam is similar to many other online money making schemes that claim to offer the highest returns but do not deliver on their promises.
It‘s a good question and you should ask it on any site that asks for your trust.
So here’s what I can say for now based on what I can see publicly. The site is operated by one of the trade’s individual members; signs its updates “in brotherhood”; is entirely transparent about how to get hold of whoever’s running the show. It’s not a recruitment site with a (bad) agenda. It doesn’t present itself as a replacement for the locals’ own dispatches. It links to them.
The one thing I can‘t tell you is how relevant any individual entry is in this constantly changing world. Indeed the accurate answer is: It appears to be from an actual community resource, and you should regard it as a resource from this official channel.
And one more thing to keep in mind: if you look for the name, you will find quite a bit of irrelevant information. For example, you will encounter scraper sites absolutely saturated with the term, and at least one site directory that lists the term as a local service for drinking places and cafes; not true. Skip those. If the page doesn‘t talk about IBEW or job listings, it‘s irrelevant.
Common Questions About Where2Bro
Who owns Where2Bro? It’s labeled as a client of IBEW but it’s actually an non-IBEW affiliated one-man operation. For official policy, visit your local or the IBEW directly.
Is it free? No paywall on public pages as far as I could see and third-party apps provide no indication that payment will be required. See the live site for up-to-date information.
How up to date is it? I can‘t give you a trustworthy schedule, some listings I saw were obviously whacked onto daily there are locally, but entries on any aggregator are always a little behind. Check with the local first.
Would I be able to submit a listing/correction? Yes, suggests the website, updates and corrections are welcome by email, contact details are provided.
Do I require an account? The pages I tried didn‘t seem to ask, however check the site first as no doubt this could alter.
Not a journeyman? Apprentices or anyone in the industry can get some value from the listings, too, such as what credentials and criteria are widespread by region. Just remember, you may refer depending on your classification and your local. If you still can’t find your foot in the door, Electrical Training Alliance, the joint IBEW-NECA training program, has a listing of apprenticeship training facilities; and Apprenticeship.gov: a search tool for registered programs throughout the U.S.
Tips From Someone Who‘s Made the Mistakes
A handful of habits that have saved me time, and a few headaches:
- Have a folder of your docs ready. Some form of photo ID, license, receipt for dues, whatever letter you received for travel. Scan all these so they are on your phone.
- Get started early. Any process that includes an application, test, or background check can take more time that you might anticipate.
- Write down the dispatch number, not just the website. Websites go down. Phone lines usually don’t.
- Check timing. Some nicks and local sites upload information at the same time each day. If you know when this is, you won‘t waste time refreshing the page to no avail.
- Wash it all out, including the scale. The bigger the scale, the less it covers your insurance.
- Be kind to dispatchers. They take many calls. Being helpful, having patience, and courteous and proper preparation makes all the difference.
Helpful Resources
For your convenience you can keep the above official links in trusted sources as listed below separated by line (one per line) to bookmark websites.
- Where to Go: Included are listings by local, with notes on dispatch, ID and testing requirements.
- WhereToBrother For Android on Google Play : A nominated Android application for filtering and sharing Where2Bro job advertisements.
- Where2Bro Accessibility Statement: Includes a listing of browsers supported by the site and the contact e-mail address.
The Bottom Line
And so, back to that searching that night. After a good few minutes of searching, I got the reason why a coworker had so casually recommended it. Where2Bro isn’t slick. It isn’t pretentious. It’s simply a tool made for a very few lots by someone from the same.
Use it as you would a good road map: for a broad overview, choose a direction, and then check the road is clear before you go. Use it along with a phone call, check out a local’s website, and talk with someone who’s been there before you arrive. You’ll make smarter decisions than most.
And if you discover something not current? Let the administrator of the resource know. That‘s how a resource from such a resource continues to merit a visit.
Got a story of how you landed a gig through a site like this, or an advice I overlooked? Leave it in the comments. I’ll read each and every one.
