Skilled Trades Committee

 

Chairman –  Jon Lowry

Steve Jones

Justin Jeffers

Greg Bush

Larry Caraway

 

 

 

Message from the Skilled Trades Committee

Welcome to the Skilled Trades Committee page of the Local 402 website. We hope you are enjoying the website and gaining a lot of valuable information about our union.
The Skilled Trades Committee consists of 7 members who are elected to serve a three-year term. We have a Chairman, Alternate Chairman, Recording Secretary, and a two-member Journeyman Card Processing Team.

We are committed to preserve the equity in each classification and to support all of the Tradesmen/women that we represent.
The demand for skilled trades professionals continues to increase across our nation. At the same time there are constant efforts to down-play organized units. We are all concerned with the fast pace of technology in today’s industry and with the trends of downsizing and layoffs which pose such a threat to our work force.

The 21st century has shown us nothing but change–change that is constant in our everyday lives. The unity of within the Skilled Trades can, and will, reflect our future. We should never lose sight of our professional standards.

In Closing: Be safe and professional in your classification as a UAW Skilled Trades Journeyman/woman.

Purpose of Skilled Trades Committee

The UAW Local 402 Skilled Trades Committee was formed for the purpose of representing all Skilled Trades members within their classifications in an advisory capacity only.

The Committee consists of seven members who are elected to a three-year term. The duties of the Committee are:

  1. To promote health and safety in the workplace.
  2. To advocate training for Skilled Trades members.
  3. To make Journeyman Card procedures available to our members, and to process and forward their applications in a timely manner.
  4. To represent Local 402 at the Regional Skilled Trades Council as well as the International Union’s Annual Skilled Trades Conference.
  5. To act decisively to resolve any issues over lines of demarcation within the plants by submitting recommendations to the Bargaining Chairman.

Skilled Trades Issues

The Skilled Trades Committee is actively involved in making recommendations to settle disputes concerning lines of demarcation.

The seven member committee handles these issues in the following manner:

  1. The committee researches any new work, lines of demarcation, or disputed subjects.
  2. An on-site investigation is performed before the committee makes a recommendation.
  3. The investigation team’s written recommendation is discussed and voted on by the entire committee.
  4. The written and endorsed recommendation is presented to the Bargaining Chairman for the appropriate action.

Journeyman Card Information

Welcome to the UAW Journeyman Card Information section. A Journeyman Card represents your training and experience, and it recognizes you as a UAW professional.

It is the Skilled Trades Committee’s duty to make applications available to our Skilled Trades membership and to assist our members with the application process.

REQUIREMENT: To qualify for a UAW Journeyman Card the applicant must fall under one of the following conditions upon the date of application:

  1. The applicant must be working in a UAW plant.
  2. The applicant must be a member in good standing with eight (8) years experience in the trade he/she is applying for -or- must have served an apprenticeship that meets the UAW standards.
  3. Be laid-off with recall rights from a UAW plant.
  4. Be retired from a UAW plant.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

APPLICATION FORM REQUIREMENTS:

Three copies of the application must be filled out completely and signed by the applicant.

The application must be signed by the Local Union’s Financial Secretary to verify that the applicant is a member in good standing.

The application must be signed by a representative of the Journeyman Card Committee to verify the accuracy and completeness of the application.

The current work letter must be signed by the President of the Local Union to verify the accuracy of the information.

PHOTOGRAPH REQUIREMENTS:

You must include three passport size photos of the applicant with your application. (approx. 1″ X 1 1/4″)

WORK LETTERS REQUIREMENTS:

You must include three (3) copies of each work letter.

Each work letter must be on company letterhead stationary.

Each work letter must include specific dates of hire and classifications held during employment.

Each work letter must be dated and signed by a company representative.

UAW shop work letters must be verified as accurate with the signature of the Local Union President upon the submitted letter. This verification must also include the title of the officer as well as the date it was signed.

Work records from your present employer must be current–no more than 30 days old at the time it is received at the Regional Office. When more time has elapsed, the letter must be updated when verified by the Local Union (within reason, of course).

The work record must give the applicant’s current status, for example:

  • Currently working in a UAW plant
  • On layoff with recall rights
  • On sick leave with return rights
  • Retired

Credit is not given for self-employment time unless verified by self-employment I.R.S. records or notarized affidavits.

NON-U.A.W. SHOP WORK LETTERS:

Company official’s signature must be notarized. If the letter is not notarized, the following affidavit may be typed on, or affixed to, the original letter and signed by the applicant in front of a notary:

“I swear that I obtained this letter from the person whose signature it bears, and to the best of my knowledge, the contents are true.”

Foreign work letters must be translated by a source approved by the Skilled Trades Department. Three copies of both the original letter and the translated version must also be submitted with the application.

Letters of Journeyman Cards from other union are not accepted as proof of time in the trade.

Time at trade school is not credited as time in the trade.

Experience gained in military service may be used to substantiate Journeyman status, provided the applicant can produce detailed records showing experience at the trade. Discharge certificate is not sufficient. To obtain military personnel records, write to:

Military Personnel Record Center, TAGO
9700 Page Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63132

The “Five and Three Rule” is a rule that applies for all related classifications.

Moonlighting time is creditable. Your letter must give hours worked, as well as dates and classifications. If both jobs are skilled, give the credit that created the most time without duplicating time.

APPRENTICE GRADUATES REQUIREMENTS:

You must include three (3) copies of your Certificate of Graduation.

Non-UAW apprenticeships must be submitted with three (3) copies of the Certificate of Graduation, a breakdown of shop training, and a breakdown of related training. These must be comparable to the standards for UAW apprenticeships.

Apprenticeship breakdowns can be obtained from:
The employer–in a form which complies with the rules for letters
The Bureau of Apprenticeship & Training Office in your area
Other governmental offices which handle that particular apprenticeship registration

Where apprenticeships do not meet UAW standards, they can usually be credited as time in trade toward the eight-year requirement.

Foreign apprenticeships that are under under three and one-half years are unacceptable.

RECLASSIFICATIONS:

Any applicant who was previously issued a Journeyman Card for one classification or trade and wants a different trade or classification will be required to submit the same information as a new applicant and must return the previously issued Journeyman Card.

MUTILATED CARD REPLACEMENT:

The normal application form is not required.

One F-4 Form must be filled out with all appropriate signatures.

One passport size photo of applicant is required (1″ X 1 1/4″)

LOST CARD REPLACEMENT:

The normal application form is not required.
One F-4 Form must be filled out with all appropriate signatures.
One passport size photo of applicant is required (1″ X 1 1/4″)

REGIONAL CARD COMMITTEE:

Applications and communications must be forwarded to their Regional Card Committee. Exceptions to this are the Detroit area (Regions 1, 1A, and 1B).

In cases where these guidelines cannot be met, it is best to communicate your problems in writing to the Regional Card Committee when you submit the application to the Regional Office.