Labor Union Local 17 opens up apprenticeship

By KATELYN CORDERO
Posted 2/13/19

Local 17 Labor Union on Little Britain Road in Newburgh has accepted 100 applications for a four-year apprenticeship program. The union typically opens positions for the apprenticeship program every …

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Labor Union Local 17 opens up apprenticeship

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Local 17 Labor Union on Little Britain Road in Newburgh has accepted 100 applications for a four-year apprenticeship program. The union typically opens positions for the apprenticeship program every two years.

Out of the 100 applicants, 12 will be chosen to participate in the four year long program to become a journeyman or skilled laborer.

According to Todd Diorio, Business Manager, the pool of 100 applicants will receive a rating based on their experience and quality of their interview.


“We look at many factors,” said Diorio. “Some of the applicants will get eliminated if they don’t have a driver’s license or they can’t pass a drug test. You must have reliable transportation, if you don’t have a driver’s license and a vehicle it’s difficult because you have to travel from Newburgh to Kingston, Warwick, and Monticello. The biggest issue we see in the City of Newburgh is the transportation issue.”

The office of Local 17 lies in the City of Newburgh, however very few workers live in the city. Diorio currently has 12 laborers living in the city out of 700 employees. The jurisdiction of the union covers Orange, Ulster, Sullivan, Dutchess, and Otsego Counties.

“Part of the problem is they start out as city residents and as soon as they get enough money saved up they move out of the city,” said Diorio. “The numbers don’t reflect that. We are working diligently to find a way to get more people in the union, but I can’t take in more people than there are jobs.”

Diorio is looking to partner with the City of Newburgh to create a program to give residents the skills necessary to become part of the union.

“We’ve tried to partner with the City of Newburgh a couple times and it fell apart,” said Diorio. “We try to get them to come to the understanding that in order to put people in the program we need a program to get local residents ready when the work comes to the city.”

Each apprentice must complete 4,000 hours in the apprenticeship and 500 hours of training to become a journeyman. Every 1,000 hours is considered a year completed in the program. Each year completed warrants a raise.

The starting salary in the apprenticeship is $22.78 with an increase until they become a full time journeyman. The apprenticeship is a rigorous high commitment program with a 42 percent graduation rate.

The only other ways to join the union is through an organizing drive or if a contractor hires a worker directly. They may also take on experienced laborers if they have the skills to meet the qualifications of a journeyman.