The Basics
The apprenticeship system was used
extensively by the craft guilds in the Middle Ages. It continued to be
important in learning a trade until the Industrial Revolution in the 18th
century. With the exception of the construction craft unions, the system was
largely replaced by the factory system.
Revived in the 20th century, the
apprenticeship system is used in the U.S.
by industries that require highly skilled workers.
Apprenticeship is the form of training most
widely used in the construction trades.
This training has two components. The first component of apprenticeship is on
the job training by a skilled journeyman worker. The journey level worker
passes on the skill set’s which the apprentice will need to become a
journeyman.
The second component of this form of training
is classroom study and activities which expand on the skill set taught in the
field and included variations of those skills along with the teaching of the
theories behind those work processes.
The Federal Committee on Apprenticeship
stated;
“What
distinguishes apprenticeship from most other forms of training are such
fundamental qualities as training program sponsorship and location, the skills
acquired, the value attached to the credential earned, curriculum content that
is defined by the workplace, wage requirements, the written agreement, and the
implicit social contract that exists between program sponsors and their
participants.”
Legislative
History
q 1937- Passage of the
National Apprenticeship Act. Also known as the Fitzgerald Act, this led to the
formation of The Bureau of Apprenticeship Training (BAT) within the U.S.
Department of Labor, which works with employers, labor groups, and schools to
set standards and promote apprenticeship programs.
q The Fitzgerald Act also
authorized State Apprenticeship Councils (SAC), which may set standards for
apprenticeship that may be more stringent than BAT programs.
q Washington State uses a more
stringent standard of apprenticeship through the Washington State
Apprenticeship and Training Council (WSATC).
q The Seattle Area Plumbers
and Pipefitters have been training working men and women in the pipe trades for
futures as craft workers since their first standards were approved on November
22, 1939.
q 1997- The City of Seattle
and King County/ Metro adopt ordinances relating to the use of WSATC Programs
on Public Works contracts for those agencies. These ordinances both speak to
the recognized value of WSATC Programs and set minimum participation levels for
contractors who are awarded public works contracts.
q 2000- Governor Gary Locke
issues an Executive Order recognizing:
1.)
The value of WSATC programs.
2.)
The
growing skills shortage in the construction industry and its’ effect on the
states economy.
His executive order lays out minimum participation
levels (from year 2000 forward) for state agencies contracting construction
work.
Where Local
32 Stands
The membership and leadership of Local 32
stand steadfast in their support of this time tested form of training. Few
things which men have endeavored to do have shown as much success as these
programs.
Apprentices learn skill’s which give them the
ability to feed their families though out their lives. Contractors get
dedicated, productive, professional employees who have enough confidence in
themselves and their skills to tackle the toughest jobs and make the contractor
money. Project owners get what they are paying for, jobs built in a
professional manner and quality installations which surpass the industry
standards. Society gets a skilled worker who makes a family wage and
contributes mightily to the tax base of a community.
Another one of the important parts of the
WSATC programs has been the amount of labor/management co-operation which has
been developed though the close work of each of the parties to come up with
programs to meet the industries needs. Many construction programs are joint
labor/management sponsored programs.
These programs are truly wins for all
parties.
Local 32 supports program’s approved by the
Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council and held up to those
approved standards.
Local 32 opposes any erosion of these
programs by groups whose only interest is to pay a lower wage. The continual
push by the Associated Building Contractors (ABC) to get awarding agencies to
approve BAT standards hides their real intentions behind rhetoric.
Washington State prevailing wage law states
that only apprentices who are enrolled in a state approved program’s (SAC) are
exempted from being paid the journeyman rate for that craft. The apprentice
must be paid in the manner in which meet the standards of the particular
program. What that means is time in the trade, classroom training and goals
must be met for the apprentice to progress.
The whole and complete reason for CITC to
push for inclusion of BAT language in the prevailing wage law is to escape the
responsibility of properly training that worker and still pay that worker less.
Due to the fact that their employees are cut
out of the equation in setting up these programs, and cut out the ability to
have a voice in determining under what conditions they will work, these program
have proven totally inadequate in turning out quality journeymen for the
construction industry. Case in point: In 1996, the Construction Industry
Training Council (CITC) had 19 Plumbers enrolled in their program.
Records show that none of these apprentices ever completed the program.
CITC is the training arm of the ABC.
The establishment of any BAT programs in the
construction industry in the State of Washington erodes the standard’s which
are tried, tested and true.
This Position Paper was produced by the Political Action Committee
of UA Local 32.
Send all Questions and/or Comments to Wayne Stedman,
UA32PAC Chair by clicking on this link.