FAQ About the Union.
Does it cost me any money to sign up and be a union contractor?
*The requirements to being a signatory contractor are: You must have contractor license, you must have workers compensation insurance, you must post a bond to the Trust Fund and you must follow the collective bargaining agreement.
Is the Union going to control my business?
*No! Your company is run by you. The union is there to assist you in staffing your jobs in the best way possible.
Is it true I can never fire anyone?
*No! You can hire and fire as you see fit as long as there is no work place discrimination violating state or federal law. We have an at will agreement
Will the Union allow me to use my existing work Force?
*Yes! Your workers will become members of the union and be able to continue working.
How does the trust fund work?
*The trust fund is the entity that collects the money due for fringe benefits owed on behalf of your workers. The fund will send you a report each month that must be filled out and sent back in a timely manner.
How are the benefits paid?
*Benefits are paid to the trust fund. The trust fund handles when an employee becomes eligible for benefits and sends out an enrollment package.
Are their different pay rates for employees?
*Yes! There are rates for each craft represented by Local #4. From that there are rates for Journeypersons and Apprentices.
How does the subcontracting provision work?
*Their can be no subcontracting of work to a non union contractor that is under the work descriptions of the collective bargaining agreement.
Will I be less competitive being union?
*No! We expect our Journeyman and apprentices to be more productive and better at installing the work for you. The union preaches this through our Code of Conduct.
How long does the union contract last?
*A collective bargaining agreement can last for as long as the Union and Contractor group agree to. .
Is it permanent or can I get out of the contract?
*Any contractor can get out of the contract during a window period when it is about to expire by giving notice to the Union and Associations as specified in the contract.
What do my employees have to pay to become members?
*There is no initiation fee for any of your current employees to join the union. The fees are all waived
Are the Field Reps going to bother me?
*No! The Field Reps are there to help you get work, staff work, solve problems and insure that everyone follows the contract that has been negotiated.
Can I still do non-union work (existing jobs)?
*Our contract allows for a new signatory contractor to give a list of jobs they have currently under contract to perform. These jobs are exempt from the union agreement until they are completed. However, if any of the union members work on these jobs they must be paid the union scale.
What does the union offer me?
*You make payments to the Trust Fund for all employee benefits. You do not have to worry about going out and providing them yourself. When an employee leaves your company, your obligation to provide them with benefits is over. You company can also participate in the benefits.
*Labor-Management agreements are established covering wage rates, apprentice training, working conditions, travel pay, tool requirements and etc.
*You will have access to a skilled labor pool of Craft Workers. You will be able to use craftworkers from other contractors as they come available. You can call for craftworkers from an out of work list established by the Union. You will be able to find and use apprentices. The apprentice program screens and evaluates new applicants for work.
*You will have access to our training center. Training the next generation of CraftWorkers is taken very seriously by our apprentice program. If a contractor needs some type of special training for their men, such as scaffold training, forklift training, OSHA training, it can be done at the training center.
* Prevailing wage job requirements will be easily met. Our apprentices are all registered with the State of California. You will not have to pay the full prevailing wage rate to all your workers. You will be able to pay the fringe benefits part of prevailing wage to the trust fund instead of on the wages. This gives you a break on workers compensation premiums and is a savings non-union contractors do not enjoy. We also have a labor compliance program which will assist you if a problem occurs on a job. The labor compliance program job is to police prevailing wage by checking all public works requirements, certified payrolls, letting compliance officers know were the non-union jobs are and filing complaints with the state of California.