I work in new installation, so I work four days, 10 hours a day. So for me, having a three-day weekend every weekend is awesome. And if you do get overtime, it ends up being double-time, and well worth working on the weekend. Each union can cover a lot of territory, so you may spend months out of town, four days a week, and home for a three-day weekend. This can be hard for some people, depending on your situation. While you are an apprentice for the first 5 years, you get 3 weeks of paid vacation per year. After you make mechanic, you get 1 month of paid vacation per year.