Union Labor is an asset to the contactor that employs them, a valuable and integral element of the New York construction industry, and an indispensable component of the local economy.  

Why apprenticed, skilled union labor is an asset?

There are three reasons: training, skill and quality- with the combination resulting in on time, on budget construction. 

This essay will discuss training

• Training- A well-trained work force is the basis for flexibility, innovation and high quality.

Training can be divided into two areas: Health and Safety and Technical Proficiency.
 

Health and Safety

Effective Safety training helps workers to avoid accidents. Effective health training increases the knowledge of safe building practices especially as regards building materials and exposure to toxic or unhealthy environments. Knowledge of safe building techniques and materials - available to builders- encourages contractors and builders to use good practices when it comes to exposure to hazardous materials.

Fewer accidents means fewer claims and days lost. Safe building practices are associated with a reduction of long-term disability claims. The ability of skilled workers to contribute their knowledge to our industry also means that construction sites benefit from the experience of older workers. Thus, effective health and safety contributes to lowering costs.

How intense is the training? The training offered by the Metallic Lathers and Reinforcing Iron Workers Local 46 is just one example of the intense and effective training demanded by unions with apprentice programs.

Local 46 had sent eight of its Apprentice Instructors for OSHA 500 certification. They have incorporated OHSA 10 training into every apprentice's orientation, and set up Journeyman Upgrade classes for Scaffold Users, Scaffold Erectors and HAZ MAT workers. These classes are available for use by all signatory contractors upon request. In addition, no Apprentice can achieve Journeyman status without obtaining NYFD Certificates of Fitness in the use of power actuated tools and oxy-acetylene cutting and burning.
 

Technical Training

Since ancient times, apprenticeship has been recognized as the most efficacious way to produce skilled craftsman. The same holds true today. However, today apprenticeship training is enhanced by the ever-expanding curriculum of formal education required by most apprentice programs. The union apprentice training requires that apprentices pass courses in math skills, blueprint reading, rigging and reinforcing theory. All apprentices must also successfully complete a rigorous course of study in Unbonded Post-Tensioning.

Certification:  Students are tested and certified by Evaluation and Certification Services, LLC, a non-biased third party, in order to assure professional integrity.

A new Foreman Training Course has been added to the curriculum and is specifically designed to enhance communication and organizational skills. It is a crucial step in maintaining not just a competent work force, but also a pool of supervisory personnel necessary to see the projects through.
 

Continuing Education

Instruction does not end with Apprenticeship Training. Just as accountants or architects are required to complete continuing education units on a regular basis, so too must the Journeyman Lather periodically return to the Learning Center to upgrade his or her skills because of changes in technology or legislation.

Currently, (2008-2009) classes are available for Welding, Construction Project Management, Estimating and Computer Aided Design Drafting.  

The Construction Management Department of NYCTC evaluated these courses and they now bear college credit.
 

Who Trains the Trainer?

The third and final leg of educational support is the training of the instructors themselves. Local 46 instructors participate in training programs to keep pace with technology and to study the best pedagogical practices. A 200 hour, no-nonsense program administered by the International union demands that all participants participate in a minimum of 100 hours of technical training and another 100 hours of professional development courses.

Currently, three instructors already hold the title of Qualified Ironworker Instructor, with another fifteen enrolled in the program and nearing completion.

The social implications of this massive amount of job training and wage earning potential for New Yorkers are significant. The economic boost it gives to our local economy is quite capable of being calculated, and the numbers are staggering. According to the Fiscal Policy Institute, the tax revenue alone provided by the use of Union Labor amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars for the city and state governments combined.