The contract wage is a collectively bargained minimum wage. Contractors can pay over scale if they decide to. Not all members are paid overscale and overscale payments tend to rise in frequency and amount during booming economies when contractors are scrambling for a workforce. The… Read More
The entire country suffered because we had a terrible recession and a construction depression. Carpenters didn’t “lose” raises, we kept our jobs and had steady work. Compared to other industries we were hit the hardest but have recovered more strongly than many. Carpenters Total Package… Read More
They far exceed them. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the Seattle /Tacoma area has increased by 13% since 2013 and during that same time, our wages grew by 15.57% which does not include the 2018 4.79% increase…. Read More
This could create more headache for members and contractors. Requiring members to keep track of parking receipts and fill out additional reimbursement paperwork can be burdensome. Zone pay is an easy way to get paid timely without additional paperwork and bookkeeping. Zone pay also gets… Read More
While the intent of the $1/hour in pay for carpenters working in the downtown core is to assist those members in paying for costly daily parking, the wage increase is considered “zone pay” like a carpenter working in the San Juan Islands, or other locations… Read More
The intent of zone pay is to assist carpenters who work in certain areas or on certain projects where travel is burdensome. $1/hour additional pay for carpenters working in the downtown Seattle core is intended to offset the costly price of daily parking, leveling the… Read More
Licensure is complex, and we have a long road ahead of us to reach that if that becomes a clear goal. A downside to licensure is that we would be stuck in boom times (like now) and struggle to provide a full workforce if members… Read More
Trade licensure plays a large role in the ability of specific crafts to demand higher wages. Studies show that any occupation that requires a license will earn a 10-15% premium versus comparable non-licensed work. Licensure presents greater barriers to contractors that don’t use a licensed… Read More
Margaret Ellings became the first woman initiated into the United Brotherhood of Carpenters in October 1935. The establishment of a women’s committee within the United Brotherhood of Carpenters is one of the most important developments in the union’s recent history. Visit ubcsisters.org