APPLICATION PROCESS
Any person applying for Membership in this local must be of good character and reputation and unless waived by the International for proper cause upon application by the local, must have been a resident within Local 470's area of jurisdiction for at least 18 months preceding application with Local 470.
Applications (Letters of Intent) to the program are only accepted during both April and November. Applications are accepted and provide equal opportunity for training without discrimination because of age, sex, race, color, religion, sexual preference, national origin, physical appearance or educational accreditation.
Letters of Intent are read twice at the next two General Membership meetings (May, June or December, January) and applicants are invited or not, to an interview at the third next meeting for voting upon (August/February).
- Applicant must pass a written exam based on the first four sections of the Study Guide (Basic Union Knowledge, General, Hiring Hall, Safety) before interview proceeds.
- Interview questions are presented to the applicants by the Membership.
- Applicants leave the meeting immediately after interview (before voting) and are notified of the election results by mail.
- All available Apprenticeship slots for that year may be filled at this time by the applicants receiving the highest number of votes.
- Successful applicants will be sworn in at the September/March meetings, where they will observe the scheduled practical test to help them understand the commitment that is required to the program.
- Applicants will be given all educational material (i.e. Apprentice Pack) at this time.
- Any applicants that did not qualify during the voting process will be invited, by letter, to resubmit a Letter of Intent the following year.
To be eligible for the program, an applicant must:
- Have a minimum of 100 cumulative hours as a worker on the Local 470 Hiring Hall referral list.
- Have all percentages and fines paid. (Be in good financial standing.)
- Have been a resident within Local 470's jurisdiction for 18 months.
- Have completed and submitted a Letter of Intent (see below) to join Local 470.
SCREENING PROCESS GOVERNING RULES
The maximum number of Apprentices to be accepted for each subsequent year will be determined by the Executive Board of Local 470 in September. This decision will be based upon the potential business and educational climate of the Local. Factors will include, but are not limited to:
- How many Apprentices the Local currently has.
- What the Apprentice Committee feels it can support effectively.
- The number of permit workers being placed on showcalls during the past year which might indicate a potential qualified technician deficiency.
- The perceived upcoming work load for the following year as determined the Business Agent.
- The potential for organizing drives. Available Apprentice positions for any given year can be increased by a vote of the general Membership to allow for authorized organizing efforts by Local #470.
The screening process shall consist of the General Membership interviewing applicants via questions, reviewing the applicant's Letter of Intent and reviewing the applicant's work history with the Local. In cases of more applicants than openings in the program for any given year, the final determining factor shall be a vote by the Membership.
An application may be rejected for any of the following reasons:
- Documented anti-union activity.
- Outstanding union fees or fines.
- Suspension from the Local 470 Hiring Hall referral List.
- Incomplete or falsified Letter of Intent.
- Failure to meet minimum 100 hundred hours worked.
INITIATION FEES AND DUES
Initiation fees include:
- A $100 application processing fee, which is forwarded to the International office in New York
- A $350 initiation fee.
This total of $450 must be paid before a new member can be sworn in.
Membership dues for 2023 are $78 per quarter, $312 per year. Membership dues often go up a few dollars each year. Dues are payable quarterly, the first day of each quarter. Members are allowed the 1st full month of the quarter as a grace period to pay those dues without penalty. Beginning with the second month of the quarter, and for each additional month thereafter, a fine of $5.00 per month is added to the quarterly dues. Members who are 6 or more months behind in dues may be subject to suspension, additional fines or expulsion.
FULL MEMBERSHIP and TESTING
To become a Journeyman (Full) member of Local 470 Apprentices need to pass a Written Test and then a Practical Test. Apprentices have 1 year from the date the International office approves their application to pass the written test and 1 more year after that to pass the practical test.
The written test is given at the regular monthly meetings in January, April, July and October.
The practical test is given twice a year at the March and September meetings.