Carpenters Local 270 represents skilled and highly trained carpenters who serve the construction industry of Central Illinios. All we ask for a full day's work is a fair wage and the opportunity to practice our craft with skill and safety and to be able to live and participate in our communities with dignity.
We also open our arms to our non-union brethren and to the contractors for whom they work, in the hope of elevating the standard of living for all of the hard-working Brothers and Sisters of the Carpentry Trade.
Look around you. Just about every building in your community was at least partially built by skilled carpenters.
To be a carpenter is to be a member of one of the oldest and most respected trades. You can build a lifetime career in carpentry, if you like working with tools and like to create things. Hammer out a well-built future with training in carpentry.
Carpenters are involved in many different kinds of construction activity. They cut, fit, and assemble wood and other materials in the construction of buildings, highways, bridges, docks, industrial plants, boats, and many other structures. Carpenters' duties vary by type of employer. Builders increasingly are using specialty trade contractors who, in turn, hire carpenters who specialize in just one or two activities. Some of these activities are setting forms for concrete construction; erecting scaffolding; or doing finishing work, such as installing interior and exterior trim. However, a carpenter directly employed by a general building contractor often must perform a variety of the tasks associated with new construction, such as framing walls and partitions, putting in doors and windows, building stairs, laying hardwood floors, and hanging cabinets.
Because local building codes often dictate where certain materials can be used, carpenters must know these requirements. Each carpentry task is somewhat different, but most involve the same basic steps. Working from blueprints or instructions from supervisors, carpenters first do the layout—measuring, marking, and arranging materials. They cut and shape wood, plastic, fiberglass, or drywall, using hand and power tools, such as chisels, planes, saws, drills, and sanders. They then join the materials with nails, screws, staples, or adhesives. In the final step, carpenters check the accuracy of their work with levels, rules, plumb bobs, and framing squares and make any necessary adjustments. When working with prefabricated components, such as stairs or wall panels, the carpenter's task is somewhat simpler than above, because it does not require as much layout work or the cutting and assembly of as many pieces. Prefabricated components are designed for easy and fast installation and generally can be installed in a single operation.
Carpenters who remodel homes and other structures must be able to do all aspects of a job—and not just one task. Thus, individuals with good basic overall training are at a distinct advantage, because they can switch from residential building to commercial construction or remodeling work, depending on which offers the best work opportunities.
As in other building trades, carpentry work is sometimes strenuous. Prolonged standing, climbing, bending, and kneeling are often necessary. Carpenters risk injury working with sharp or rough materials, using sharp tools and power equipment, and from slips or falls. Additionally, many carpenters work outdoors, which can be uncomfortable.
What is an apprentice ?
An apprentice is someone who is learning a trade by working under the guidance of skilled workers of that trade, called journeymen. It is on-the-job training. You earn while you learn, and you are paid a wage from the first day you become a working apprentice. Apprentices are usually paid at about 50% of the journeyman rate of pay to start, but the wages are increased periodically, usually every six months, until you reach the full journeyman rate. It takes from two to four years to normally complete one of our programs. We offer apprenticeships at the The Joint Apprenticeship Training Center. Check out one of the other pages for more detailed information and remember…….
Apprenticeship can yield a lifelong rewarding CAREER !!
Apprentices in the construction training program move from first period to eighth period apprentice before becoming a journeyman carpenter. Students learn through an innovative program that combines classroom instruction with hands-on training. Apprentices earn "skill blocks" as they increase their knowledge of basic construction techniques. This training supplements the training and experience they get while working on-the-job with journeyman carpenters.
Apprenticeship coordinators manage the programs and monitor the progress of the individuals who enter the various trade disciplines.
Knowledge and training is what puts a skilled carpenter above other workers.