Courtesy Local 773 Plumbers & Steamfitters
By Christine Graf
At a time when local contractors are struggling to find qualified skilled trade workers, Local 773 Plumbers & Steamfitters has at least 40 qualified applicants anxious to join the union’s five-year apprenticeship program.
The union represents more than 450 plumbers, pipe fitters, steam fitters, refrigeration fitters, and service technicians in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties. The local headquarters is in Glens Falls.
“I am seeing no shortage, and I know that I can recruit the people I need because we pay a living wage,” said Mike Jarvis, business manager at Local 773. “People see that they will have a future with us. They know they will be treated right.”
Despite being overwhelmed with applicants, Local 773 has been able to accept just three people into the Glens Falls apprenticeship program so far this year. Jarvis expects that number to top out at six, with an additional three apprentices likely to be selected from another large applicant pool in Plattsburgh where the union has its second location, he said.
Expanding its apprenticeship program will be possible only if the union is able to secure additional signatory union contractors.
In recent years, Jarvis and Brian Kill, business agent at Local 773, have been working to attract contractors from the residential and light commercial sectors.
“We realized we are missing a lot of market share within the residential and light commercial market space, so Brian and I sat down and came up with a wage rate and benefits package to fit the local economy,” said Jarvis.
“We spent a lot of time talking to contractors, and we came up with an agreement that would make the contractors competitive but would also offer benefits to their employees. The wage was geared more towards a first year trainee, and the all-in package was less than that of a standard apprentice. Contractors loved it because it allowed them to still be competitive while paying employees what they were worth.”
Under that agreement, Local 773 workers were contracted to work on the apartments at Fowler Square in Queensbury where Albany-based BBL Construction was the contractor.
“It started off like a bang, but after they completed Fowler Square, I didn’t have jobs to send them to afterwards,” said Jarvis. “Now I’m working diligently with a lot of my contractors to try to get them to bid on more of this residential/light commercial work.”
Most independent contractors are reluctant to hire union workers because doing so cuts into their bottom line.
According to the Brookings Institution, union workers earn 11 percent more than non-union works. They also received an attractive benefits package which includes health insurance and a pension.
“It’s very unusual for contractors to use union employees,” said Jarvis. “I’m not saying that this applies to all contractors, but many want to get rich on the backs of their employees.”
According to Jarvis, Boyce and Drake Plumbing in Saratoga Springs is one of the few small local contractors that relies on workers from Local 773.
“Boyce and Drake does residential and light commercial heating, cooling, and plumbing, and their charge out rate is the same as the other eight or ten non-union companies that they compete with,” said Jarvis. “That means that the homeowner still pays the same price, and the only difference is that Boyce and Drake doesn’t make as much because they are paying their employees a living wage. Their employees don’t make as much as my A-rate guys at GlobalFoundries do. But they make a great wage and have health insurance and the complete pension that 773 offers.
“With 773, you are getting quality employees. Our workers are trained professionals who went to school for five years in our apprenticeship program and receive continuous training. And, if there is an issue with an employee on the job, you make one call, and I come down and sort it out. We get it done.”
Studies have also indicated that union workers are more likely to engage in safety practices than their non-union counterparts. Union workers are also able to express concerns over workplace safety without fear of retaliation.
Jarvis warns developers to be wary of what he refers to as the “fly-by-night” general contractors. In order to cut costs, these contractors often hire subcontractors who do sub-par work, something that can lead to costly mistakes.
“You get a lot of cut-rate general contractors who sub out the work. The cheaper he can get the subcontracting done, the more money he will make,” he said. “At the end of the day, if the work that is being performed on your job isn’t quality, you need to start asking questions. It may have been cheaper up front, but in the long run, was it really cheaper?”
When it comes to the skilled trades labor shortage, Jarvis said it comes down to dollars and sense.
“If you pay their worth and treat them properly, I don’t think we would have the shortage in the trades.
Local 773 has no shortage of skilled workers, and Jarvis is hopeful that contractors in the residential and light commercial sectors will take advantage of the competitive wage agreements that are available.
“I need to get the message out that we have no shortage and that we could man these projects if they gave us a chance,” said Jarvis.