What do Carpenters do? | Hours & Working Conditions | What is Apprenticeship Training? | Pay & Benefits

Welcome to the Carpenter's Union.

Local 1564 covers the entire state of Wyoming. It is centrally located in Casper. Members meet on the 3rd Monday of every month at 5:30pm. Occasionally we will rotate meetings to different parts of the state so everyone has an opportunity to participate. Being a union member takes more than just “working union.” Participation is critical to our success in the Labor movement... Our local can only be as strong as we are…members are the union. You are the U in UNION. Participate whenever you can.

The goal of our organization is to raise the standard of living for all carpenters, whether they are members of our union or not. We need your help. Get involved! Become active and see the difference it makes. The Carpenters are organizing nationwide as you are probably aware of by now. The only way we can get the wages and benefits we deserve is by sticking together as brothers and sisters. There is strength in numbers.

We would like to welcome you to the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, a member council of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. Your decision to become a member of this Union gives you and your family much more stability and a plan for the future. When you work union, you have the ability to retire with a pension and while you are working towards those retirement years you will be covered by a health insurance plan that covers not just you, but your spouse and children. These plans travel with you from contractor to contractor. You don’t have to start from the beginning if you decide to leave employment with Contractor A and go to work for Contractor B. These plans also travel with you if you decide to work for a contractor in another state. You now have a CAREER, not just another construction job.

What do Carpenters do?
Carpenters measure, saw, level and nail wood and other building materials. They install tile and insulation, acoustical ceilings, cabinets, sidings and much more. They work with many tools and materials to build houses, erect skyscrapers, construct bridges, tunnels and highways. Carpenters make up the largest single group of skilled workers in the country.

What are the hours and working conditions?
The typical workday for a carpenter begins early. He or she is often on the job site before daybreak, and he or she is hard at work before the sun is high in the sky. Much of the work is outdoors, but modern construction methods have eased the problems of the summer heat and the winter’s cold. The average carpenter usually wears a hard hat, tough, durable work clothes and safety shoes or sturdy hi-top shoes.

What do we mean by Apprenticeship Training?
Individuals entering apprenticeships come from a wide variety of backgrounds. They may be recent high school graduates or an individual making a career change later in life. Each individual brings with him or her specific needs and experiences, each one has in common with others the desire to develop the skills to become a craftsperson with pride in their ability. Throughout the course of apprenticeship, the individual has the advantage of job placement while developing the skills necessary to maintain employment. Apprenticeship provides the individual with the tools to build a future for themselves and others.

An apprenticeship program combines on the job training with related classroom instruction. The apprentice works under the supervision of the journey level worker and learns through hands on experience. The apprentice is paid an increasingly progressive wage for the on the job training and may work for a number of contractors during his or her apprenticeship. In addition, the apprentice attends related instruction to gain theoretical knowledge and exposure to methods and techniques which they may not be familiar with on the job. The instructor is an experienced journey level worker with educational background. Related instruction reinforces and clarifies the on the job training. This overlap provides an education which produces the competent and capable journey level worker.

The skills acquired through apprenticeship provide a lifelong occupation at a good wage with benefits such as health insurance, pension and vacation. There are no tuition costs to the apprentice and you earn a wage during your training. The training provides a structured education, minimizing the gaps in your education. The apprentice becomes a journey level worker upon completion of the program. This status is recognized through certification from the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and the United States Department of Labor under the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training. Opportunities available to the journey level status include becoming supervisors in the industry or to entering other facets of the industry such as inspection, estimation, instructions, labor leaders, construction management or contracting.

The Pay and the Benefits Really Add Up
The rewards of apprenticeship training are the good wages and benefits you receive as a union member… a member of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. There are a half million UBC members in the United States and Canada.

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You’ll be working under the protection of a union contract for a good contractor, which means you will probably have some form of health insurance and pension and welfare benefits. It pays to be the best you can be-an apprenticeship- trained carpenter!