It takes a team. And when it comes to a new, state registered apprenticeship program, the Ohio Teamsters are hoping that “team” will consist of its 26 local unions, heavy/ highway contractors and individuals interested in going through the program as they embark on a well paying, worthwhile career.
In February, Ohio Teamsters Apprenticeship and Journeyman Training Fund (OTAJTF) Plan Administrator Daniela Janceski was awaiting word about the state’s final review of the apprenticeship program. “Everything is ready to go,” she said. “Our website has been built; the application is ready; everything is ready. We just can’t officially do anything until we get the green light.”
Ironically, the “green light” not only describes what those working to get the apprenticeship program started are hoping, but also describes what Teamsters wish for on the open roads when performing their duties. ”(We focus) on the driving of the tractor trailer lowboys,” said Doyle Baird, president of Teamster Local Union 92 in Canton, “all the equipment to and from the jobsites and on the jobsites” – such as fuel, water, articulated and dump trucks.
“… If it’s called a truck, think of a Teamster,” asserted Mike Ciammaichella, of The Ruhlin Co. who has been an OCA Representative on the OTAJTF for 12 years. “… Teamsters are running overthe-road trucks, articulated trucks and specialty trucks.”
Boyd, who also serves as the OTAJTF chairman and business agent, further described the Teamster’s duties, adding, “And anything that hauls materials on the jobsite … We do bussing, transporting members to and from the parking lot that run on the jobsite; plant work; sitework; we claim the warehousing on a jobsite, where if you have parts or materials stored in the yard, we also run the forklifts and sign in and out tools and pipes; we are in charge of that inventory.”
Ohio’s approximately 400 Teamsters involved in the heavy/highway, building trades and pipeline construction industries are a busy and integral part of the construction workforce. “If we, the Teamsters cannot get the equipment on the job, these other trades cannot perform their duties,” Janceski said.
Dwindling numbers countered by developing needs have Baird, Janceski and contractors anxiously awaiting a Teamsters Apprenticeship program. “We have a big shortage right now,” Baird said of drivers, as he mentioned large construction projects in the Cincinnati and Columbus areas. “And with the (Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act) having projects let all over the state, we have a lot to cover. And to be honest, we’re short-handed as it is.
“It’s important to get the apprenticeship going and get people in the trade,” he added. “We need drivers, we need new people coming in – we have people retiring as we speak. It’s just important right now getting people educated and trained and out on these projects.”
THE PROGRAM PUT IN PLACE
Once underway, Ohio’s two-year Teamsters Apprenticeship program will begin with a six-week in-class program where participants will receive the new training requirements for earning the Commercial Driver License (CDL), which went into effect in 2022 (see Ohio Contractor November/December 2022).
Because the Ohio Teamsters Apprenticeship & Training Program’s CDL training is certified by both the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMSCA) and ODOT, apprentices can obtain the certification without having the extra cost of a private truck driving school and outside training. “Because we are meeting the requirements,” Janceski said, “that puts us on a different level. Even the other trades are going to be looking at training schools like ours to get them CDL drivers because they are not certified themselves.”
While the Entry-Level Training and Behind-The-Wheel Training for first time CDL drivers is one of the first tasks of Teamsters Apprenticeship Program’s curriculum, Janceski said it is not the only. “We get them ready for this new field of work they’re entering. So, in addition to training for the CDL, we want to get them acquainted for the industry,” she said, mentioning instruction in tasks Teamsters perform in the construction industry, such as load securement, coupling and uncoupling, forklift operation and more. “We have a lot of things that they need to do to continue doing a good job of on the jobsite that make them valuable for the whole industry as a Teamster.”
The Ohio Teamsters’ training facility is located at Local Teamsters 377 in Youngstown, where several types of trucks are available for practicing. Patterned from Illinois’ apprenticeship program, Ohio’s curriculum was finalized in February 2022. “We hired an outside consultant, which we needed to get the program accredited and registered with the state,” Janceski said. “We’ve also invested in new equipment to make sure (students) can get trained on and pass the exam on the equipment that they will be using out in the field.”
Besides the in-class portion of the apprenticeship, which utilizes presentations, video instruction and other multi-medium forms to engage and provide “real-life visuals,” Janceski said most of the teaching is provided through on-the-job training. “We put you on the job quicker than in other trades programs. You get your CDL, and then you’re driving. Our whole purpose is to get you to work.”
OCA Labor Relations & Safety Affairs Director Dave Coniglio, who has been an OCA Representative for 18 years on the OTAJTF, said the Teamsters’ apprenticeship program is to create “a well-rounded individual for the construction industry … They’re going to obtain a CDL; they’re going to receive training in how to operate various pieces of equipment that Teamsters would be required to operate. They are going to get training in those areas and the safe operation of those vehicles.”
In addition to OSHA and safety training, life skills are part of the apprenticeship as well. “Our goal is to get these new individuals acquainted not only for the industry but also get them ready for what they’re going to face,” Janceski said. “They might be coming into a whole lot of money, maybe they never had a real, full-time job. We want to provide training on how to handle the whole money aspect of it; how to handle situations on the job. Just help gear them for the real world.”
BEST OF TIMES
Similar to how the Ohio Teamsters prepared for construction of the state’s Marcellus Pipeline a decade ago, when Baird said the International Teamsters were utilized for training with stringer trucks used to haul the sometimes 50-foot-long pipes, they are helping contractors meet the current challenges brought about from revisions for acquiring CDLs and the uptick in projects from IIJA funding. “…It’s apparent that we need to get it up and running and pushed out to the industry,” he said. “We’re encouraging employers to hire apprentices, and I think OCA is going to be a big help.”
Ciammaichella agrees about the timing for the apprenticeship program. “We are in an incline in the amount of work that needs to be built,” he said. “We need more drivers out on the construction sites.”
“This is the best time,” Janceski added for individuals to become involved in the Teamster’s apprenticeship. “There are more opportunities than ever for young people just coming out of high school,” she said. “This is a very inexpensive way to get started …”
Besides initial fees, which are about $200, Janceski said the approximately $7,000 to $10,000, two-year apprenticeship training is “absolutely free” for participants. “Because the program is two years, (apprentices) need to commit two years.” With the majority of the apprenticeship spent working on the job, she said the program is funded through the employers paying 20-cents-per-hour worked by the apprentices & Journeymen.
The Teamsters program is inclusive and accepts participants regardless of gender. Apprentices must be 18 years old; a high school graduate or have earned a GED; be physically fit to perform the duties of the trade, drug fee and accountable; have a Class C (general driving) license; and be proficient in reading, writing and communicating in English, so as to recognize and understand road and jobsite signs. Further information on the requirements, cost and overview of the program’s curriculum can be accessed at https:// ohioteamsterstraining.com.
“There are a lot of benefits for people to join our program as an apprentice,” Janceski said. “They have us (Teamsters) as a guide; they have us for support. We try to place them with our contractors so they can continue to work and earn a good living wage and have much better benefits than they would if hired by a company outside a Teamsters’ environment.”
IT NEEDS SUPPORTED
All groups involved in the Teamsters Apprenticeship Program know it is dependent on the industry utilizing the training and supporting of the participants.
Asked what the contractors could do to make the apprenticeship a success, Baird was quick to answer: “… Start taking apprentices. That’s the main key. We need to get the contractors’ side involved … If we run people through the apprenticeship program, and we get them certified within the six weeks and we don’t have employers willing to take them for the year, they leave the program.”
“One of the hardest parts about an apprenticeship program is the stark realization of an apprentice who wants to make a living; he’s getting some training, then he realizes he doesn’t have consistent work,” Ciammaichella said. “It drives them away every time. So, having candidates come forward from the industry and having a commitment from the industry to keep those apprentices employed is really big.”
Baird and Janceski said the Ohio Teamsters will continue to pattern its training from the input of contractors by asking what and how they want their employees trained in, and traveling – if possible – to where they want to have that individualized training provided.
“The one thing we want the contractors to know is that we are in this together,” Janceski said. “This apprenticeship program was created to make sure that (contractors) have a supply of new, fresh blood in the industry that will be there for years to come. So, it behooves them to reach out and say, ‘Hey, I’m ready for an apprentice.’
“Work with us; give us feedback. If contractors get apprentices give us the good, bad and ugly,” Janceski added. “We want to make sure we give them good quality people that are responsible, trained and ready to rock and roll so they can be successful.”
That wish for success goes for all the TEAM members – the contractors, the apprentices and Teamsters.
