Who Spends Over 8 Million Dollars A Year To Train The Future Pipe Trades Workers In New England?

Well since you asked, I will tell you. All of the affiliated United Association Locals from across New England, that’s who. This is the only entity that supports concentrated training for the future pipe trades workers across the region without any government handouts.

The members of the locals contribute a portion of their pay to support the Registered Apprenticeship Programs across the six state region. Plumbing, Pipefitting, Sprinklerfitting, and HVAC Technology is taught at at least every facility, every day of the week. There are currently about 1500 apprentices going to one of these schools everyday and Saturdays.

Eleven local unions are working hard to support the workforce of the future. In many cases, you hear talk about where are we going to find the workers of the future or you hear something like there are no one filling these jobs. Well, when it comes to the Pipe Trades in New England that is not the case. We have no shortage of applicants.

Not only do these hard working apprentices learn their craft in school, they also get paid to learn. During the day they work and at night they go to school. In some cases, they go to work for six weeks and then spend a week at school. Never the less, the United Association training programs are usually double the required hours than the individual states requirements for a registered training programs. Think about that, they get paid to work and train for free.

The United Association is also leading the way in training our apprentices in the technologies that are part of our carbon reducing initiatives. Heat Pumps are going to play a large part of our future energy policy when it comes to carbon reduction. Our instructors are teaching all of this and more; Heat Pump Water Heaters, Geo Thermal Heating, and the latest in HVAC Building Management technologies.

So during National Apprenticeship Week, the Plumbing, Pipefitting, HVAC, and Sprinklerfitting locals across New England are well positioned for the jobs of the future. This also comes at no cost, no college debt, in fact it may include a free college education on top of this. The point is we are always looking for good people that want to work hard and be part of an organization that trains its members for the future. We are the ONLY organization that is training for the future.

If you think this may be for you reach out to one of the locals or at www.nepipetrades.org

November 21, 2021 0

The Story About Equal Pay Day That You Wont Hear About

Today, April 2nd, 2019 is Equal Pay Day and I wanted to share with you something about my business that you probably have never heard about. I have read no less than a half-dozen articles today about the fact that women make eighty cents to every dollar a man makes. http://www.forbes.com/sites/shelleyzalis/2019/04/02/equal-pay-day-2019-how-to-close-the-wage-gap-for-good/

As Business Manager of the Boston Plumbers Union, and a member for over thirty years, I have never known of a woman member that did not get paid what their male counterparts made.

We all went through an apprenticeship together, worked our way up through the business together, became duly licensed by the state together. All the way through apprenticeship and on to becoming a journeyman there was pay parity. Yes, it’s because we belong to a union.

Over those thirty plus years the ranks of women have continued to grow especially over the past ten years. Yes, the pay structure has been around in a male dominated industry for many years but as women have become more and more commonplace in the industry there was never any thought to pay women anything less than what the contract provided or what the men made.

At a recent meeting with some of the women of Local 12 we talked about many issues but the one issue that never came up is pay equity. I was compelled to write this because there is no media outlet that seems to want to let anyone know that parts of the labor movement is paying dividends for all working people.

Needless to say that the Building Trades can be a misunderstood entity at times, we have always tried our best to be sure that its equal pay for equal work. The reasoning being, that we all came into this together trained and moved up together. Pretty basic concept I think.

So on this years Equal Pay Day, for those that find this thing kind of important, not only do the Union Plumbers in the Boston area make the same pay so do all of our counterparts throughout the rest of the Boston Building Trades.

For that, I’m proud.

April 2, 2019 0

A Little Help for the Little Ones

As Christmas 2018 closes in there are many stories of people helping out one another that you see in the media. Plumbers Local 12 has always been there to help organizations whenever we can and some are just special to us. St Mary’s Women and Infant center is one of them. The center, which has been in operation for over 20 years, helps, houses, educates, and protects women and children in their most dire times.

There is also a soft spot with us because as the old St. Margaret’s many of the men and woman around the metro Boston area were born there and that was the first place that many of us safely slept.

Over 2018 Business Agent Barry Keady has taken volunteer members up to Cushing Ave. and rectified some plumbing issues that have lingered there for almost twenty years. Now fixed, the facility has been able to use areas for various uses that they never were able to use before. Unfortunately there never seems to be an end for the social services that need to be rendered up there.

This year Local 12 made St. Marys the sole beneficiary of our annual toy drive. Hundreds of toys have been donated by the plumbers and apprentices and as an organization located here in Dorchester we wanted help out another neighborhood organization.

On Thursday December 13th, we were joined at the hall by Deirdre Houtmeyers and the leadership team of St. Marys as well as his Honor Mayor Martin Walsh. “It truly is our pleasure to help out these people in need, especially at Christmas” said Local 12 Business Manager Harry Brett. Mayor Walsh while speaking to the members at the union hall that day reminded everyone of the importance of always trying to help out those who are in need.

Plumbers Local 12 apprentices then loaded the Plumbers 911 van and dropped of the toys to the staff at the center. Although we do many things as well as support various causes throughout the year it is special to help an organization located so close to us that provides so much to people in need that come from all over.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

December 22, 2018 0

Plumbing is Great Industry in MA

I just left the annual Massachusetts PHCC trade show in Marlboro MA. This show continues to showcase what a great industry we have here. Plumbers and apprentices from across the state come to interact with the suppliers of basically anything that has to do with the business.

This year we, Plumbers Local 12 was the proud sponsor of the very popular code seminar put on by the Massachusetts State Plumbing Board. At least 700 people filled the conference room to exchange ideas, concerns, and to get clarification on a host of issues. Chairman Paul Kennedy did a great job answering or getting the right person to answer whatever the audience threw at them

The important take away is the fact that a strong license and a strong code is the key to keeping the plumbing industry here a great business not only for the license holders but the consumers as well.

Congratulations to all at the MAPHCC on another great show.

March 5, 2017 0

Plumbers Local 12 Recognizes National Apprenticeship Week

This week, November 14th through 20th 2016 is National Apprenticeship Week. At Plumbers Local 12 in Boston every week is apprenticeship week. There is no better trained plumbers in eastern Massachusetts than the ones at Local 12.

Layout class led by Instructor Darren MacDonald

Just this week in our day school program we have first year, second year, and third year apprentices doing everything from academic classes to shop classes. Classes from Use and Care of tools, Plumbing Code as well training in the latest layout and co ordination technologies have been going on every day.

Local 12 Instructor Gregg Peterson, teaching Use and Care of Tools

Plumbers Local 12 has almost 200 apprentices in our apprenticeship program working in shops that range in size from 2 employees to some that have in excess of 300 plumbers and apprentices. It is imperative that we supply the most highly skilled and well rounded mechanics in the industry to support our contractors.

Apprenticeship is a proven method of skills training that goes back hundreds of years. The plumbing trade is no different. Our apprentices do 1200 hours of training in our program almost double what the Massachusetts laws require for training. “All of this training pays off for us because when an apprentice does an apprenticeship here they are embarking on a journey that will require them to be the best” says Rick Carter Local 12 Training Director.

First year apprentices brazing in the shop, led by Instructor Joe Kyne

“Plumbing is a career” says Harry Brett, Business Manager of the Boston Plumbers Union, “we do not provide jobs we provide careers and a rock solid foundation is the success to that career”. So as the nation recognizes Apprenticeship Week we at Local 12 live it every week and are committed to continue the fine tradition of Apprenticeship.

November 17, 2016 0

In With The New

2016-apprentice-class-rtfd

“Welcome Back” was the theme at the Local 12 apprentice orientation night last week at the Plumbers Union Hall. It was great to not only welcome the new apprentices but also welcome back all of the others as well. They came in after the having the summer off looking to pick up right where they left off. The program has almost 190 apprentices today.

Welcome back to all of the Local 12 apprentices

These apprentices will follow many career tracks in the industry including, but not exclusively, commercial, service, and wood frame residential. Our training facility is equipped to train for anything the industry throws at us. Technology is coming at us like never before and although it looks like at times that things will become easier, there are advances in plumbing that continue to demand more education. We are prepared.

There is no organization in Massachusetts that trains for the challenging trade of plumbing like Local 12. Almost 500 people applied to the program this year and did so mostly because we provide a career path and not just a job. Local 12 provides benefits and retirement plans that although some of those in the picture above don’t really grasp yet, when they pass the thirty year mark it will become clear that as they grow in age as well as career, Local 12 will be there for them.

Welcome and Good Luck to our new Brothers and Sisters!

September 21, 2016 0

Out With The Old

On May 13th Plumbers Local 12 in Boston graduated their first apprentice class in two years. These new journeyman plumbers have raised the bar for what an apprentice class should be.

After five years of attending a program that started out at night and finished as a day program they sang the praises of their training. They also represented the changes that Local 12 has been championing. There were commercial, residential, and service apprentices graduating together.

Also in this class were three apprentices that competed in national apprentice competitions. One in Connecticut, one in Ann Arbor, Michigan,and one in Hollywood, Florida. These apprentices were so inclined to participate because of their confidence in the training they received at Local 12s training facility by our instructors.

One of the most important jobs that the plumbers union has is to provide the best trained apprentices and plumbers the industry has to offer. There is nothing else like this in regard to training in Massachusetts. Now with a special attention to all wood frame construction with 12R we are training to all aspects of the residential industry. Not that we weren’t before before but we are in it to win it.

We also have our focus on service as well. All apprentices take part in service training but the ones actually doing it train with the journeyman as well. That along with quarterly in service training with the vendors of the industry puts us head and shoulders above everyone else.

The day school also brought some unsolicited comments from the class. Class President Danny Palimeri spoke about how their personal relationships changed after they went to day school. “When we started at night we were acquaintances but once we started day school we all became very close.” For me that compliment was confirmation that day school is the way to go. “We were supportive of each other to make sure that everyone was getting whatever the teachers threw at us” said Danny.

Class President Danny Palimeri addresses over 200 people that attended the graduation at Venezia Restaurant in Dorchester, MA.

Some that read this may not appreciate that trade training is that important, but when you put in five years and over eleven hundred hours of training this group of new journeymen will forever consider themselves Local 12 Class of 2016! Congratulations!

June 20, 2016 0

They just do commercial……

If you look on a clear day from a high spot on the Massachusetts – New Hampshire border or from the west on a hill in Worcester County or from a high spot near Foxboro you can see the great Boston skyline.

From many a plumbers perspective that are not members, thats where most of the members of Plumbers Local 12 work. Building or servicing large commercial projects. We know thats not true. But there is something really great happening in the Local. A place for residential plumbers.

What I mean by residential plumbers is the men and woman that are out in the suburbs everyday building those local skylines, thinking that Local 12 has nothing for them. As the building boom continues through out the Greater Boston area plumbers and apprentices need to know there is a place here for you.

Yes, if you are contractor you can access the same types of benefits that you may have thought were unattainable for your loyal workers. For the plumbers and apprentices there is the access to the benefits and free training that the Local has always provided. The one thing that we all have in common is that plumbing is our Career. Lets make the most of it together.

We have created a new division that makes this affordable. For Real. Its all about cost and we know that what we have done is in line with whats going on in all parts of eastern Massachusetts.

I can’t tell you how excited I am about this opportunity and I want to encourage any sole proprietor, small shop, developer or any one interested to call the office and get the correct information.

Our business development representatives will be all over eastern Massachusetts visiting job sites this spring and summer spreading the word so we look forward to talking with you.

Remember, plumbing is our career, making the best of it includes being able to provide health insurance for our families and retirement benefits for ourselves. We look forward to talking to you.

April 3, 2016 0

Where is the shortage of new plumbers?

As I write this blog applications to Plumbers Local 12’s apprenticeship program have just concluded. This year we have over four hundred applicants vying for approximately thirty positions. This flies in the face of what I hear is a shortage of people people entering the plumbing business in Massachusetts.

Maybe there is a difference between a job in plumbing and a career in plumbing. Local 12 has always given all applicants an interview and one thing we hear from them is that people are looking for a career. A place where they will be able to get health insurance and accrue retirement benefits during and after their career is done.

Maybe its the training that Local 12 provides apprentices as well as journeymen throughout their careers that provide them them many opportunities to work for the different contractors while maintaining the highest pay and best benefits in the industry.

Local 12 is a proud membership organization that wants its members to succeed all during their careers as plumbers. With at least sixty percent of Americans with almost no savings (according to an article in Boston Agent Magazine by Tom Ricci) these applicants have figured out that union benefits are a good thing and applying to the union training program is the way to go. No wonder over four hundred people have applied.

Plumbers Local 12 is about careers not jobs.

February 2, 2016 0

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