First, you should know that this will not affect all of our members. If you are a member of a Local in Colorado, Nevada or New Mexico there is no change for you. In addition, no change has been made for members of Locals 721 and 1607.

For those who are members in Southern California or Utah, perhaps the biggest change you will see as a member is that if you were a member of Local Union 150, 209, 409, 547, 630, 743, 803, 944, 1506, 1800, 2007, 2361, 2375, 184, or 1507 (sometimes herein referred to as the “Dissolved Local Unions”), effective August 12, 2018, you will be a member of a different, new Local Union. Your new local will be affiliated with the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, and the International union, which is the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (“UBC”).

You should also know that this is NOT going to affect the wages and benefits you earn while working as a UBC member under our labor agreements. If you are working for a signatory employer now, you will continue to work for that employer with no changes.

In addition, your membership rights in the union will not be affected. In fact, in UBC General President McCarron’s letter of August 3, 2018, in which he ordered the dissolution and creation of Local Unions, he specifically stated that, “(i)n accordance with the UBC Constitution, the vested membership rights of the members of the Dissolved Local Unions shall be preserved.” He then referenced Section 6-A of the UBC Constitution, which provides, in part, that, “(w)hen action is taken pursuant to this Section to establish or dissolve any Local Union or Council, to merge or consolidate Local Unions or Councils or to establish or alter the trade or geographical jurisdiction of any Local Union or Council, the General President shall have the authority to transfer members from any Local Union to any other Local Union. The vested rights of the members shall be preserved and where action as herein described is taken, the General President and General Executive Board shall preserve the membership rights of the members of affected Local Unions, including their right to attend and participate in meetings, to vote, to nominate candidates and to be nominated and run for office.”

You should have a UBC Training Verification Card. If you scan the QR code on the TVC card you will get a display that shows your current training qualifications and certifications. The display also shows your local union and status for your quick reference.

These mergers will not affect your job.

These mergers will not affect your medical benefits. As long as you work the hours necessary for eligibility, your medical benefits will continue.

No. Members will continue to be dispatched to jobsite based on dues codes, certifications, and preferences. As union carpenters, we pride ourselves on our skills and training. While we encourage cross training, you will continue to work in the craft(s) for which you are qualified.

Of course not! You will be dispatched at the correct rate for your craft.

These mergers will have zero effect on your hourly rate.

Yes. All members in areas that have collectively bargained for vacation benefits will continue to receive vacation pay that they’ve earned.

Window dues can be paid at your local union. Visit www.swcarpenters.org/local-unions-srcc-offices/ for a complete list of locations. Starting in September, you will be able to pay your dues on the Southwest Carpenters mobile application.

No, your vacation dues deduction will be forwarded to your new Local Union. No need for action on your part.

Please visit swcarpenters.org for information on local union meeting times and locations

The General President determined that it was in the best interests of the membership and the UBC to take the action he directed in his letter of August 3, 2018. The action should result in, among other things, reduction of costs in operating Local Unions, maximizing available resources, and increased market competitiveness, all of which should significantly benefit the membership and the union.

In addition, leaders of the Southwest Regional Council are working hard to engage members. Hopefully you attended one of our Vision 20/20 programs. If so, then you know we believe that member participation is critical in our collective effort to grow our union and protect our standards.

Local unions are centers of community. Everyone should be able to work close to where they live. We want to see more membership involvement at our local union halls and in our local communities. By connecting everyone based on geography, we’re hoping to see more of you and your families!

Being in a local near your home enables you to be more involved and to participate in more local member activities, including one or more of the committees that have been set up in every local union.

The numbers assigned to the new Local Unions were available and not being used by any other Local Union affiliated with the UBC.

No. Excess dues will be transferred to your new local and you will continue to be in good standing.

Members on an out-of-work list were moved to the new out-of-work list that most closely covers the geographic area of the list they were previously on. So, for example, if you were on a list for downtown you were moved to the new list for downtown. In some cases, more than one list was combined to form the new list. In these cases, all members were put on the new list in the date/timestamp order they joined their original list.

The phone number for adding yourself to an out-of-work list, or putting yourself on the Daily Dispatch List, has not changed. It is still 800/338-4599. Local union. If you have additional questions please call your Local Union or the Southwest Council office.

Please call your Local Union for information related to representation.

Attend your new Local Union meetings. Check the website at swcarpenters.org for meeting times.

Communicating with you effectively is important to us! You should have received a letter explaining some of the changes. Our website swcarpenters.org is a great source of information. We have a suggestion box if you want to message us.

Additionally, our social media accounts are places where you can connect with us. We love hearing from you!

As always, you can call your Local Union or the Regional Council office for more information.

Under Section 6-A of the UBC Constitution, the UBC or the UBC General President has the authority to dissolve and merge Local Unions and Councils, and charter new Local Unions and Councils as well. In this case, after a thorough investigation and review, the General President exercised his authority and took the action described in his August 3, 2018 letter.

Although no vote by the membership or delegates is required for the mergers, we’ve been talking to our membership about quality of life issues. When we surveyed our membership, we consistently heard that travel time to and from work is one of the hardest aspects of a carpenter’s job.

We want you to be close to your families! We want you to have a Local Union hall where you’ll bring your spouses and children. We are making every effort to cut down the commute between home and work and Local Union hall! Whether it’s organizing new members or significant restructuring, we are committed to building a better union.

Section 30-A of the UBC Constitution provides, in part, that, “(i)f, at any time, a Local Union, Council or other subordinate body should withdraw, lapse, dissolve, be suspended or expelled, or otherwise cease to function as a subordinate body of the United Brotherhood, all Property, Books, Charter and Funds held by, or in the name of, or on behalf of said Local Union or other subordinate body must be forwarded immediately to the General Secretary-Treasurer [of the UBC] for such use or disposition in the interests of the membership of the United Brotherhood as the General President in the exercise of his or her discretion may direct or to such Local Union(s) or Council(s) as the General President in the exercise of his or her discretion may direct.”

So, pursuant to his authority, General President McCarron directed that the assets, etc. of the Dissolved Local Unions be provided to the Southwest Regional Council. But he also directed that each new Local Union be provided with $100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Dollars) from those assets to help begin operations.

As noted above, under Section 6-A of the UBC Constitution, the UBC or the UBC General President has the authority to dissolve and merge Local Unions and Councils, and charter new Local Unions and Councils as well. In this case, after a thorough investigation and review, the General President exercised his authority and took the action described in his August 3, 2018 letter.

See also, the response to Question #12, above.

Another area that this change impacts is the out-of-work list system. Members on an out-of-work list were moved to the new out-of-work list that most closely covers the geographic area of the list they were previously on. So, for example, if you were on a list for downtown you were moved to the new list for downtown. In some cases, more than one list was combined to form the new list. In these cases, all members were put on the new list in the date/timestamp order they joined their original list.

In other words, although your number on the list may have changed the only people who were added to the list below you had been on some other list longer than you. Keep in mind that in many cases, where lists were combined, there will be members from different crafts on the same list. That means, for example, that although you might be number 30 on the list, there might be 20 people on the list with a lower timestamp than you who work in some other craft. Therefore, you would be called 10th for your type of work.

As before, always be sure to call in every day and put yourself on the Daily Dispatch list, because members who are the Daily Dispatch List are called first.

For more information on the geographic area each new Local Union covers and, therefore, the area covered by its new out-of-work list, please select the SW Carpenters Communities button.

The phone number for adding yourself to an out-of-work list, or putting yourself on the Daily Dispatch List, has not changed. It is still 800/338-4599.

During the first two weeks, if you want to change to a different list than the one you were assigned, you can call your Local Union and you will be moved to a different list without losing your date/timestamp. If you have additional questions, please call your Local Union or the Regional Council office.

This will be based on the areas covered by the new Local Unions. See the maps.

Section 10-M of the UBC Constitution provides that, “(t)he General President shall have the authority to appoint interim officers and delegates of newly established, consolidated or merged Local Unions or Councils.” Accordingly, General President McCarron, in his letter of August 3, 2018, exercised that authority and appointed interim officers and delegates of the new Local Unions.

It is important for the officers to have sufficient time to get a new Local Union’s operations up and running properly. That being said, the new Local Union may conduct nominations and elections for officers and delegates within a reasonable period of time of the Local Union being established. Keep in mind, however, that if nominations and elections are not held in May and June, respectively, and/or the terms of elected delegates and officers of a new Local Union are not as provided for under the UBC Constitution, see, Sections 31-C and 31-E, then dispensation must be requested of the General President.

No, unless the Southwest Regional Council has or adopts a bylaw that restricts the transfer of membership between Local Unions affiliated with the Council. If there is no such restriction, then a qualified member can transfer to another Local Union under Section 46-A of the UBC Constitution. That section provides, in part, that, “(t)o be qualified to be cleared for transfer, a member must have been a member of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America for at least six (6) months, be in good standing, and have paid all monthly dues owed, including the current dues for the month in which the clearance is to be issued.” Please see also Section 46-F of the UBC Constitution.

Please see the response above to Question #25.