SOUTHERN NEVADA CARPENTERS JOURNEYMEN
AND APPRENTICE TRAINING PROGRAM

The Carpenters Journeymen and Apprentice Training Program represents a traditional construction-sector, labor-management training program that has undergone a dramatic restructuring to address the changing workforce and industry in Las Vegas.

History

Demand for construction activities in Las Vegas has skyrocketed over the past two decades as expansion of casinos and tourism has shaped the fastest-growing city in the United States. Yet, even with an established base of union construction in first-class hotels and casinos, the Carpenters Union gradually lost market share. In the Fall of 1996 the international union created the Southern California-Nevada Regional Council and, under new leadership, conducted a detailed analysis of the regional construction industry. Changes were instituted to reverse problems, including slow growth, limited numbers of apprentices, segmentation along class and ethnic lines and lack of upgrade training. Through a massive effort to expand training, the Carpenters Union more than doubled its membership between 1996-1999, and increased its visibility through high-profile outreach to the local community. In an effort to be more inclusive, the union courts and welcomes Hispanic carpenters. The union is reclaiming its share in the fast-growing Las Vegas construction industry, with a membership representative of the diverse workforce in the industry.

Goals

• To build the Carpenters Union and gain market share;
• To provide training for new members and skills upgrading for journeymen;
• To identify and keep up-to-date on technology and industry trends;
• To increase participation of women and minority members in training and the union;
• To increase the union presence in the community.

Activities

The union's growth strategy depends on training newly organized members, most of whom do not have a complete set of craft skills. There is an active effort to reach out to Spanish-speaking and other minority workers and to women who are or want to be carpenters. The union hired bilingual staff members and developed bilingual materials for everyday membership interactions.

• In 1998-1999 the program built a new state-of-the-art 64,000 square-foot training facility, a fivefold expansion over the size of the previous one, to accommodate increased training needs.
• In 1998, 1,300 carpenters and apprentices enrolled in training programs, approximately double the levels of 1995.
• The union developed a system for assessing and mapping skill sets so individual training strategies can be developed to close the gap between existing skills and evolving skills needs.
• In its training center, the union offers ESL classes for families.

Results

• Union employers see the increased effort in training and organizing as very positive, resulting in increased worker productivity and competency.
• A dramatically expanded training program has focused on upgrading skills for new members, 70 percent of whom lacked the skills of fully qualified craftspeople.
• The union training program and membership doubled in size between 1995 and 1998, with significant increases in participation by women and minorities. By the end of 1998 more than 1300 carpenters and apprentices were enrolled in training.
• The negotiated hourly rate for training funds more than doubled, and expenditures rose to $1.9 million in 1998.
• The Las Vegas Interfaith Council for Worker Justice, an "interdenominational multiethnic congregation-based community organization," was formed, bringing together 20 congregations.