Steamfitters union, training site mark busy year
JACKSON TWP — Steamfitters Local Union 449, its 1,800 active members and its training facility are marking a fantastic year — a reflection of the commerce in the union's 15-county jurisdiction.
“We are doing extremely well … better than I have ever seen in my 39 years with the organization,” said Dale Glavin Jr., director of training at the Wise Road complex.
One indicator is the number of first-year apprentices accepted: 100.
The organization, Glavin said, fluctuates intake based on area need so as not to create unemployment in its wheelhouse.
“There were years that I was in this position and we only took in 21 students,” Glavin said. “Just five years ago, we were taking 50, we went from 50 to 100 in five years.”
The union, retaining its name and legacy from the steam-driven turbines that once heated plants and homes, has been around for more than a century.
But the $18.5 million, 75,000-square-foot facility in Jackson Township is fairly new, having officially opened in January 2017.
Those interested in joining the Steamfitters' ranks must be 18, have a high school diploma or equivalent and a valid state driver's license. Candidates apply in July, and a month later they're given a 150-question competency exam. The top scorers are interviewed. This year, 500 applicants vied for the 100 opportunities.“Some have no construction experience, others have heating or welding experience,” Glavin said. “We vet them into programs from resumes and work experiences.”Once selected, apprentices are assigned a contractor and begin working. While working, they also train two days — for a cumulative 16 hours — a month at the center.
“It's the apprenticeship model. They work under the tutelage of a seasoned journeyman and see the trade. At the same time, they come here for core, basic training,” Glavin said. “No school loans are needed. They earn as they learn.”Apprentices start at about $19 an hour with health benefits. They receive 10 percent salary increases during the five-year program, until they reach journeyman status when the hourly wage jumps to $41.The training facility offers two programs: pipefitting, which includes welding; and mechanical equipment service to include HVAC professionals.Employers of active union members pay 90 cents a work hour into a training fund that covers the facility's needs.“There's $3.3 million in the training budget this year,” Glavin said.A number of trends are fueling union activity, specifically in the energy industry.“Our area is blessed with resources,” Glavin said, pointing to the petrochemical plant under construction in neighboring Beaver County, the still-thriving Marcellus gas industry, and a regional move to transition coal-fired power to natural gas.
“Plants are coming out of the ground new. There's a lot of work out there to build these plants to support the electric grid,” Glavin said. “And (for HVAC specialists), it's the applications for food preservations and warehousing.”“The advantage we bring to the contractors is they don't have to interview and find people. When they need man or woman power, they just call,” Glavin said. “We provide labor, well-trained labor.”The Steamfitters are also eager to attract quality apprentice candidates as many seasoned journeymen are preparing to retire.“I am training people who will replace me. It's a great time to be a young person in this industry,” Glavin said. “We want local Western Pennsylvanians to work here, grow their families, pay taxes and have quality lives for a long, long time. Our story is one of opportunity.”
