carpenter

drywall hanger

scaffold builder

mechanic

installer

CARPENTERS UNION

The day always had good flow always had work to do , working with others was really nice never usally had to work alone supervisors were fair so long as you kept busy , the environment was not extreamly stressful , you could tell we were all a team working towards one goal has excellent benifits  , and great retirement package , wages are a little less in this area compared to some other states , but enjoyed the job there are not alot of down falls to it you can make life long relationships woth co workers , if you like to feel like your really co tibuting to the days of tomorrow  for our children then this is a job you can be proud of . Apart of you will be here long after you are gone and feeling of pride and self worth goes up dramatically.  When you drive by a job site weather it be a school , an office building , a parking structure  , or a highway , bridge , or , a fierce station when you drive by and see it functioning and doing and providing g for what it was built to do you will just smile and know even the occasional bad day on that job was so worth it because you gave another person a job a purpose of living  , but most of all it's just knowing that one day when the project is added on to or being renovated to be something else the people doing  that work are going to think what all of us have done and that is the carpenters before them did a great job they must have been proud or they will see our name where we signed it amd they will just smile and when we found those names it just made us smile , because ot showed us that a man or woman working with thier hands kept this trade going g for them and it was like saying a little hello and a thank you because that person made our day and we photograph it and it stays apart of us forever and we just remember a day and time in the past where we hoped someone some day in the future will find that drawing or the name we signed and hope it dose as much for them as it did for us when we found that signature or a photo or a drawing or just simply a date . We are carpenters , or electricians , or plumbers , drywall hangers and finishers , painters , amd we are the ones that make America great cause of what we do it is our history and it paints a puctuer of the world likeness other so go be great and generations after us will know we were here.

Been union carpenter for 20 years with much of it specializing in industrial scaffold. Depending on your area work goes in waves with booms of 5 to 10 years then slow work for up to 5 years. The term journeyman is not just a name but a requirement to work steady for those that do not stay with one company or in one facet of the trade.

If you are willing to go where the work is you can make over $100,000 a year chacing outages and big jobs across a region or the entire country. If you are looking for a 9-5 always local job this will tend to not be for you. 

There are times that you get laid off and will collect unemployment for weeks. Currently in western Pa/Pittsburgh we are in the early middle of a 10 to 15 yr boom where a fair carpenter will make around 50,000 plus a year plus bennies and if you are willing to put hrs in some projects will get you well above 100,000 a year. 

Training is second to none in the union and benifits are great. Layoffs can be bad but personally I like to get a few weeks of unemployment a year to regroup and unwind with family after jobs on the road or 50 plus hr a week local jobs. 2019 western Pa is in great need of qualified experienced carpenters. Call KML region carpenters

I have spent more time on the nonunion side so I might  be a bit biased.  I think the teachers at the hall are really really good dudes that care and are professional and knowledgeable, the BA's seem like good dudes as well. 
      I have worked with some of the most productive and talented people in my life, and some really great guys, however at the companies themselves management is just okay.  It seems like promotions are based off of seniority first, then being one of the cool guys, (having a beard and tattoos helps)  Competency and knowledge doesn't seem to always play a role in upward mobility.   
     Like any other organization nepotism and the buddy system is unfortunately there.  If you are not related or friends with someone you bust your rear end and you get laid off.  There are not a lot but there a couple dudes that are the laziest people that have great job security because there dad is the boss or whatever.  
     I have been very thankful for the wages and the instruction but the negative things I've mentioned have left a bad taste in my mouth about the union.

What is the best part of working at the company?
When I was working in the Contributions Department we treated each other as family. From 1987 thru 2020. There was good and bad times. We would argue, get over it and move on and ALWAYS completed our job. And ALWAYS CLOSED on time every month. You had to have a thick skin to deal with each other, we did. Always got along with each other. Miss my job but glad to be retired 😊

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Closing on time at the end of the month. Money and checks had to balance. And it did. We worked together and got the job done.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Work environment in the Contributions Department was always fun.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Nice and Serenefor me. I just did my job and treated everyone with respect and humor. Laughed at myself for mistakes I made on reports, got chewed out a couple of times. Owned up to them, corrected them, and moved on.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Great pay and amazing benefits! The union promotes quality training to all members so that when you reach Journeyman you have the experience to work anywhere in the carpentry field

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Like with any job the hours can be tough, especially with a family at home. Overtime isn't mandatory but it's frowned upon when the projects need to get done and you aren't willing to help out. Can/will they let you go for turning down overtime on the spot? No. It can have an impact on whether you make the cut or not though as the project starts slowing down and layoffs are happening.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The people are the best, comradery on the job site is one of the things I miss most from being in the field.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
It varies considerably job to job, time of year and contractor to contractor.

As a carpenter you would perform a variety of jobs from rebar templates to driving pile coming out of the ground, to hanging pictures and bathroom partitions at the end. I learned to manage and estimate peoples time and material, also the foresight to know what we will need six months from now. In construction you learn to deal with all sorts of people, from educated to just out of jail. You will soon learn to use people assets to accomplish the task at hand. The weather and physical/mental requirements were most challenging. There always was a sense of pride pointing at something you built 25 years ago that is just inspiring today as it was then.

A typical day at work would be showing up to the job early , report to my foreman to see what he would like me to do if i was finished what i started the day before . The rest of the day would be spent on performing the task that had been assigned to me .                                   For the last 5 years I have worked parteners with my father who is now a retired carpenter , I have learned many aspects of construction from him .  He would not work with me till i was an accomplished journeyman so i could learn the business myself . After 13 years in the Carpenters Union i have learned many different aspects of construction/ carpentry . How to perform tasks right the first time and be proud of my work . The people i work with change job to job always meeting new people . For me the layoffs are the toughest part of the job considering i have a family now . The most enjoyable part of my job is to see projects i have worked on .

What is the best part of working at the company?
They offer free training for various aspects of the carpenter skillset.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Sometimes there are long periods of unemployment when the construction economy is slow.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The Carpenters union is like any other trade union. You join as an apprentice and a Journey person ( or various Journeypersons ) teach you the trade. If you catch on quickly, you are reliable and you are not afraid of physically demanding work, you will do well.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
There are no typical days. Your day depends on the planned work the foreman has to get accomplished for the day. There are many different aspects to Carpentry, so you might work doing highway construction on one job, sheet rock on another and fine woodworking on another. It depends on how many areas you become proficient in.

The union isn’t all that they claim to be . The work isn’t hard . But it’s not what you could do nor what you know how to do. Here it’s all about who’s butt your kissing or who you know /. Those are the kind of people who will make it . The union isn’t all about the workers . They let companies pay the union carpenter less, they won’t step in and put a stop to that !! Union all they care about is about you’re dues .When your out of work they don’t help you get a job . Nor do they believe 
In seniority.when they let you go they can’t even fired you the right way .they just stop answering their phones or they won’t reply to a txt . Very unprofessional besides that a great place to work great benefits, great pay.. (WHEN THERES WORK) oh I forgot to mention if you can’t fine work with the union and they won’t pay your bills . They will fine you if you go find work on your own . If they catch you working on a nonunion job because they don’t have work they literally wanna fight you.!!!

Get up at 4am, leave the house by 430. Clock in at 6am 60 miles later, and get started by doing stretch and flex. I learned over the years to show up early and get prepared for the days work ahead of time rather than rush at the last minute and risk making mistakes. It is a good way to start managing your time for the day and get on the same page with your co-worker and discussing your tasks that are being performed. Make sure everybody has their head in the right place. A smooth running day can be the hardest nightmare if a avoidable mistake gets somebody hurt. WE ALL HAVE FAMILIES THAT LOVE US AND DEPEND ON US. And to have the satisfaction of doing a good days work for a fare wage and go home to their loved ones, and share that with them, is the best part of the day.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Carpenter 2 salaries reported	$31.48 per hour
Drywall hanger 5 salaries reported	$26.82 per hour
Scaffold builder 2 salaries reported	$25.00 per hour
Mechanic 4 salaries reported	$25.50 per hour
Installer 1 salary reported	$26.81 per hour

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