The union is a great option for laborers, but getting started and how it works might seem intimidating to the uninitiated – especially when you need work now! We built this page to outline the steps of joining the union and getting your first union job.
First, you need to contact us and let us know that you’re interested in joining. Our leadership team will contact you and can help you understand career options, current job availability, and help you map out a path to meet your goals. Based on your skills and experience, you will join the union as either an apprentice or a journeyman.
All applicants will need to provide:
- Proof of completed primary education – diploma or GED
- Birth certificate
- Social security card or equivalent authorization to work in the US
- Completed union benefit information card (provided by us when you apply)
- Payment of first month’s dues
Apprentices
When just beginning a union career, many will start as apprentices learning & practicing the trade. This category encompasses those just starting in a given career or those with some experience, but less than the 4,000 hours required to be considered a journeyman.
Apprentices get full union benefits, the same as every other union member for every hour they work. Apprentices make more in wages based on a defined timetable of hours worked – as the apprentices gains skills, training and experience, they likewise gain higher wages.
The journey starts by signing up here, but really kicks off when you visit the union hall to sign up. Bring your required documents and let us know your intent to join the union as an apprentice. We will provide the applicant with a list of signatory contractors and we will also start looking for available positions for the applicant.
Once a position is found, the contractor will provide the applicant with a letter of intent to hire. The apprentice then returns to the union hall and completes his or her apprenticeship agreement stating that they will complete 480 hours of classroom education and 4,800 hours of on-the-job training.
Most apprentices complete the program in about 28 months, becoming full-wage journeymen thereafter.
Because of the required education component of apprenticeship, depending on the course of study, apprentices may have a leg up even on experienced journeymen. This can allow them to gain higher-paying positions thanks to the special skills and training they have received.
On average, apprentices who engage with us and the process have a job within a week,
and are making guaranteed full wages in under 2.5 years.
Journeymen
Those applying as journeymen will also need to provide:
- Verification of 4,000 hours worked on the job in relevant field (via pay stubs, W-2s, letters from former employers, social security, etc.)
- Payment of initiation fee
Journeymen are skilled craftspeople who have proven through themselves through their hard work, either with a union or with through on the job training. Journeymen earn full wages and union benefits, and have access to ongoing education and training so they can deliver more value to employers and earn more money.
A journeyman simply needs to visit the union hall with the required documentation and complete a benefits card. Once complete, we will provide a signatory contractor list and help the journeyman find their first union job.
Feel The Power – JOIN NOW
We’re glad you’re here. This site will help you find information on becoming a member, the unmatched benefits and pay you’ll enjoy as a member, and what a union career may look like for you – from getting your first job all the way through to retirement.