Building Trades News

Eric Sapone, Local 342 won the state plumbing contest for the second year in a row.

By Roy San Filippo
Staff Writer

‘This right here is the future of our industry,” said Sid Stolper, Business Manager for the Southern California Pipe Trades. Stolper was gesturing to several UA apprentices who were competing in a statewide competition being hosted by the Southern California Pipe Trades at the UA’s Gardena and Hill Street training facilities.

On May 29-30, 36 UA apprentices representing 16 local unions from across the California competed in a rigorous series of written and hands-on skills tests designed to test the mettle of best trained apprentices in the Pipe Trades. Contestants competed in one of five categories: Plumbers, Pipefitters, Welders, Sprinklerfitters and HVAC Technicians.
 

Despite the variety of personalities, disciplines and locals assembled, two consistent themes emerged from the two day competition—the Brotherhood of the UA that united all of the competitors and the excellence in craftsmanship that all of they were striving to achieve.

Nicholas Agerbeek - Local 483, first runner-up in the Sprinklerfitter contest.

Throughout the competition, you were more likely than not to see apprentices who were competing against one another sitting together during breaks, discussing their trade, the competition or worrying if they were going to be able to finish their projects in the allotted time.

“That right there is what this competition is about,” said DC 16’s Assistant to the Business Manager, Mike Layton, pointing to a group of HVACR apprentices sitting at a table talking amongst themselves. “This contest breaks down the wall between the locals.”

“There was time when Northern Californian and Southern California locals wouldn’t even talk to one another,” added Mike Hazard, Training Coordinator for the Southern California Pipe Trades. “That’s all gone now. These apprentices will make lifelong friends from across the state and they will take that mentality back to their locals with them.”

Pipefitters work on their copper brazing test.

The contest was also an important platform for the UA to showcase their quality training programs. The annual training budget for the UA is $155 million, said Stolper. In Southern California District Council 16 spends $4.5 million per year just on their plumber and steamfitter programs.

In addition, the UA sponsors a week-long instructor training program every year in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Last year, approximately 175 instructors from Southern California were sent there to receive training and instruction on how to be more effective teachers and to share best practices with other training programs from across North America.

“The UA has nine training centers in Southern California. We are proposing to build two more facilities—one in the West Valley and one in Orange County. We have two HVACR facilities one in Los Angeles and one in Orange County,” Stolper said. “Taken together they represent approximately $100 million in capital investment in facilities and equipment,” Stolper added to underscore the UA’s commitment to their future workforce.

John Furtado - Local 38, first place winner in the Pipefitter contest.

“It’s an honor just being able to represents Local 78 and to show how important the training and education we receive is,” he said. “This competition really demonstrates the value of our training and proves that we know how to do the job right.”

“This really demonstrated the value of the union to me,” added John Furtado from Local 38. “Because of the great training we’ve received from our programs were able to not only become skilled craftsman, but also have the opportunity for a well-paying career.”

“There’s so much negativity about our youth these days but these are all top-notch kids here today—they’re humble, skilled, they have a great work ethic,” said Don Chase, President of Muir-Chase Plumbing, who was on-hand to watch part of the competition. Shade was one of three of Chase’s employees that finished at the top of the Local 78’s contest. Shade advanced to the state finals to represent his local. “This contest is great for morale and camaraderie at our company. We have a guy in this competition that other apprentices can look to aspire to. It gives them a goal to strive for,” said Chase.

Stolper believes that there will be a bright future in the industry for these apprentices.

“In this room here, you’ve got probably two apprentices who will move on to be union contractors, you’ve got five who will probably become union business agents for their locals, four or five training coordinators who will perpetuate the training they’ve received, some will go on to be superintendents, foreman—basically the entire future of our industry is sitting right here in this room, only they are about 10 years away. A lot of them don’t even know it yet, but we can tell by their skill level that it’s coming,” said Stolper.

Daniel Goar, Local 230

Dustin Gerber, a HVACR Tech from Local 250, will advance to the regional competition which will be held at the end of June in Seattle. Gerber, who entered the HVAC training program after attending community college,. has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to learning his trade, according to UA 250 HVAC Training Coordinator Fred Larkin. “I know Dustin is going to represent us well in the regional competition. As an apprentice he has been truly involved in learning his craft. In his five years as an apprentice he has never missed a single class,” Larkin said.

“This was a once in a life-time opportunity that I didn’t want to pass-up,” said Dustin. “I decided to compete because I didn’t want to have any regrets. An event like this is something you will remember for the rest of your life.”

Also moving on to the regional competition was Eric Sapone, from Local 342, John Furtado from Local 78, Luis De Valera from Local 403, and Kyle Wakefield from Local 483.