By working as a group, members are able to secure better and more stable wages, create better working conditions, and provide some security to each individual.
• As a member you will have a voice in your future. Each member is afforded the opportunity to speak on and vote on all issues brought before the body.
• As a member you will have the right to safe jobsites and fair treatment.
• As a member you will have opportunities to gain additional training.
• As a member you will be working beside some of the best electricians around.
• As a member you will have access to employment with multiple employers.
• As a member your qualifications are accepted nationwide and you will be eligible for work opportunities throughout the United States.
• As a member you will receive one of the best wage and benefits packages in the area.
• And, as a member your wages and benefits will be the same from job to job (whether it’s a prevailing wage or not) and employer to employer.
One of the common arguments used against joining a union is the expense of union dues. These monies are used for the operational expenses of a union and help to provide the benefits listed above. What is commonly neglected in this argument is the “dues” that are paid by many workers who are not in the IBEW. These include everything from an excessively large list of required tools and accessories to the reduced wages and benefits that the worker receives. Our contractors supply all power tools, cords, ladders, and specialty equipment. Our members provide the hand tools necessary to perform the ordinary functions of the electrical trade. If you are currently supplying more than this to secure your employment, you are paying “non-union dues”.
Anyone who has worked within the construction industry knows that there are periods of slowdown. One advantage we offer for contractors is the ability to downsize without the fear of not being able to replace those workers when things pick up again. This leads to the possibility that a member may be “laid-off”. Many of our members, however, work year round and have done so for years. And just because one employer is slow does not mean that another is not hiring.
The fact of the matter is that “lay-offs” occur and are not exclusive to our members or our industry. The rumors of long periods of unemployment occurring every year are simply not factually based. This is just another method used to keep non-union workers accepting lower wages and worse working conditions.
The IBEW has been a leader in the area of Labor-Management Relations and we operate with a no-strike policy. If negotiators for both sides are unable to settle a contractual agreement, the arguments are taken in front of an arbitration council whose decision is final and binding on both parties.
The process starts by calling one of our representatives or by visiting our union hall and filling out an application for membership.
This committee will accept applications for apprenticeship from 8:00AM to 4:00PM each workday during the year at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers hall, 1501 Revere Street, Harrisburg, PA. All applications must be completed and basic requirements verified within thirty days from the date of this application to be considered for this year’s class.
All applications must meet the following minimum qualifications to qualify for an interview:
LIVE IN THIS JURISDICTION *
YOU MUST HAVE A VALID DRIVERS LICENSE
APTITUDE TEST
PRE-EMPLOYMENT DRUG TESTING
Each applicant who meets all basic requirements will be interviewed by the Committee. The interviews will consider: Reliability, interest, attitude, judgment, cooperativeness as well as other personal traits.
All applications will be received without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, or sex.
Each applicant must meet all basic requirements to be eligible for an interview. Apprentices will be selected in order of their ranking resulting from rating of interviews.
Once selected into the apprenticeship, each apprentice will be required to successfully complete 180 hours of related instructions in evening classes (a final average of 70% or above is required to successfully complete) and 2000 hours of on the job training yearly. (Total of 5 years related training: 900 hours of classroom instruction and 8000 hours on the job training.)
Harrisburg Electricians
Joint Apprenticeship and
Training Committee
*The IBEW Local Union 143’s jurisdiction includes the following Counties: Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry and parts of the following Counties: Berks, Lancaster, Snyder, Schuylkill, and York.
(please contact us if you reside in these partial counties to find out exact jurisdiction)
This committee will accept applications for apprenticeship from 8:00AM to 4:00PM each workday during the year at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers hall, 1501 Revere Street, Harrisburg, PA. All applications must be completed and basic requirements verified within thirty days from the date of this application to be considered for this year’s class.
All applications must meet the following minimum qualifications to qualify for an interview:
LIVE IN THIS JURISDICTION *
YOU MUST HAVE A VALID DRIVERS LICENSE
APTITUDE TEST
PRE-EMPLOYMENT DRUG TESTING
Each applicant who meets all basic requirements will be interviewed by the Committee. The interviews will consider: Reliability, interest, attitude, judgment, cooperativeness as well as other personal traits.
All applications will be received without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, or sex.
Each applicant must meet all basic requirements to be eligible for an interview. Apprentices will be selected in order of their ranking resulting from rating of interviews.
Once selected into the apprenticeship, each apprentice will be required to successfully complete 180 hours of related instructions in evening classes (a final average of 70% or above is required to successfully complete) and 2000 hours of on the job training yearly. (Total of 3 years related training: 540 hours of classroom instruction and 6000 hours on the job training.)
Harrisburg Electricians
Joint Apprenticeship and
Training Committee
*The IBEW Local Union 143’s jurisdiction includes the following Counties: Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry and parts of the following Counties: Berks, Lancaster, Snyder, Schuylkill, and York.
(please contact us if you reside in these partial counties to find out exact jurisdiction)
If you are an experienced electrician living in the Greater Harrisburg and surrounding areas, are currently employed in the electrical construction industry, and are looking for better wages, better benefits, better working conditions and a voice for your future…it may be time for you to start thinking about the IBEW.
As a union member you join the collective strength of our membership at the bargaining table when negotiating with our employers for wages, benefits and rights. There is no better way to help ensure better wages, benefits and proper worker treatment than collective bargaining. Bargaining as one person leaves you at a distinct disadvantage of relying on your employer’s good will towards you or personal relationship with you. Unless you are in management, you most likely do not have a written contract spelling out your rights and responsibilities, leaving it open to change at any time. Union members have negotiated contracts with terms and conditions that both sides agree to follow. They are only open to change through the mutual agreement of both employers and employees.
As a non-union electrician, if you move from one contractor to another you start all over from scratch. You must negotiate your wage with your new employer and, assuming you receive health insurance and a retirement savings option, you must accustom yourself to a new insurance provider and retirement plan. As an IBEW Local 143 member you maintain your wage and benefits package from employer to employer. You are assured through the contractual agreement the only thing that changes is who employs you. This contract also provides for such things as sick leave, jury duty, funeral leave, military service, hours of work, overtime, safety regulations, conditions of employment and benefits we shall receive.
If you have questions or are just looking for some more information, feel free to contact one of our representatives for an open, honest discussion about union membership.