https://nwcarpenters.archive.s360.is Wed, 27 Jun 2018 22:21:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.0.12 https://nwcarpenters.archive.s360.is/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-PNWCarpenters-Primary-Emblem-Full-Color-transparent-sq-32x32.png https://nwcarpenters.archive.s360.is 32 32 https://nwcarpenters.archive.s360.is/faq/%e2%9e%a4-how-can-i-be-part-of-the-solution-to-make-our-union-stronger/ Thu, 21 Jun 2018 19:04:50 +0000 https://www.nwcarpenters.org/?post_type=faq&p=20526 Read More]]>

Ask union leadership for help to understand important issues around contract time and pension/healthcare issues. Social media can be useful for discussion but is not always a reliable information source if not verified.

Participate in Carpenters in Action and Sisters in the Brotherhood committees

Become active in your local and advocate to be involved in the next contract

Assist the Organizing Department in combatting low wage competition

Become a Union Steward and support your brothers and sisters on the job site

The energy around this contract has been great! Let’s figure out together how to harness this energy year-round in between contracts and improve our industry. When we fight as one, the fight is won.

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We are the best. We excel in safety, skill, and dedication to training. But time and time again contractors are getting severely undercut by non-union competition and that is a reality that we must contend with in bargaining so that we don’t erase jobs.

The greater ownership of the market means carpenters can demand a stronger wage. Union contractors must compete with low wages to win bids. With lower market share, carpenters are frequently undercut.

14–18% of construction performed in the United States is union. That means that 82-86% of the time we are priced out of the market. Until carpenters own the market these considerations play a large role in determining wages.

In Seattle, we have a strong market share. This agreement covers a wider area that offers portability with a consistent wage for carpenters working in outlying areas of this contract as well. From Bellingham to Aberdeen, we have a long way to go on achieving more union density. This ensures that our brothers and sisters in the outlying areas can also be assured of that higher wage that is not just Seattle market-specific.

For many years New York was considered to have an extremely strong market, with high wages. Recently, New York had to take a huge cut in pay and create a whole local at a lower rate to try to get back work that they’ve lost. We are seeing this in many areas of the country.

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The union works hard for the members, to get the best contract that the market can hold.

Part of the job in negotiations is to push hard for the best increases for carpenters but also understand the market. If we get high increases that satisfy our members in the short term but reduce work opportunities in the future, that’s not a win for our members.

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Union contractors face a lot of pressure in bidding for jobs. The bidding process is competitive, and developers and clients are often looking for the cheapest bid, not necessarily the best quality product.  

Because of the competitive bidding process, the biggest threat union contractors face is the underground economy. This means that cheating contractors, who are not signed with the union, undercut carpenters’ wages by hiring workers at cheaper rates, paying them unfair wages, and misclassifying them as “independent” workers rather than employees so they don’t have to pay out benefits to those workers. This puts our contractors at a serious competitive disadvantage when trying to win bids.

The Union fights these criminals civilly and criminally. The council has prevailed in these cases for millions of dollars and criminal contractors have been sent to jail and prison for their crimes.

Across the nation, the union construction industry currently holds about 14–18% market share. That’s a slim margin in a competitive market where cheaters are winning bids. We can price ourselves out of the market if union contractors can’t get bids because we are demanding wages and benefits that they simply can’t pay and still compete with cheating contractors.   

Right now, it’s very competitive, but when the economy slows down (and they will) that’s when more cheating competitors come out of the woodwork and the disparity will get a lot bigger a lot quicker. Criminal contractors cheat on prevailing wages, overtime, and fringe benefits to beat out union contractors.

The Seattle Core is not our only market in this contract. We have numerous contractors who consistently employ 10–30 carpenters year-round in smaller markets where non-union competition is high.

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Wall and Ceiling (EIS)

The benefits negotiated in the AGC master agreement are binding to the Wall and Ceiling Agreement. The Wall and Ceiling Agreement is up for bargaining next year. Fringe benefits (pension and healthcare) will be taken off the raises that the Wall and Ceiling carpenters just received on June 1^st.  Note: Only H&W and Pension Increases not Training (already figured)

The Wall and Ceiling Agreement is not subject to any part of the AGC master agreement aside from benefits.

MEA (Millwright Employers Association) is based on fringe benefits and percentage of the pay scale in the W/CWA AGC Agreement

The Hanford Site Stabilization Agreement reflects the Wages and a portion of the benefits for the Millwright Classification

The Eastern Washington Northern Idaho Area Master Agreement reflects the Wages and a portion of the benefits for the Millwright Classification

Scaffold Agreement is based on fringe benefits and percentage of the pay scale in the W/CWA AGC Agreement

Floorlayer Master Agreement is based on wages and fringe benefits. 

All PLA’s & CWA’s in Western Washington that keep current or Prevailing Wages updated annually in September & March are based on wages and fringe benefits negotiated in the W/CWA AGC Agreement.

Oregon Diver’s Addendum for Divers & Tenders is based on 90% of the hourly rate in the W/CWA AGC Agreement 

Public Sector groups which use Maintenance Carpenter wage rates such as Tacoma School District, Shoreline School District, Washington Athletic Club, Washington State Convention Center, Port of Seattle, and Woodland Park Zoo, Union Square One are all derived from a percentage of the W&CWA AGC Master Agreement. 

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This is the highest percentage increase we’ve negotiated on record. Your bargaining team worked to get the best increase possible for that TA.

With zone pay factored in, the downtown Seattle total package increase is 15.18% over the life of the contract.

Several trades have ratified similar, and lower increases over the past months

• Laborers ratified 5% 4% 3% plus parking
• Cement Finishers ratified 5% 4% 3% minus parking
• The membership didn’t ratify the last TA, so the committee is back at the table to try to get an agreement that members will agree to.

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The union is bound by duty, integrity, and federal law to represent our members.

The bargaining committee is made up of 14 rank and file members (recommended by their locals) and regional council representatives that participated in the process.

The union’s interest is your interest; to bargain as strong a contract as possible for the membership.

Most of our staff are UBC members, and many have been members far longer than they have been on staff.

This is the best contract we’ve had on the table in years for wages and benefits increases.

• • 6/1/2017
    $57.18
    3.01%
  • 6/1/2016
    $55.51
    2.76%
  • 6/1/2015
    $54.02
    3.25%
  • 6/1/2014
    $52.32
    2.95%
  • 6/1/2013
    $50.82
    2.52%
  • 6/1/2012
    $49.57
    2.27%

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