Exemption Requirements for Experienced Employee

Pursuant to the terms of your Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee initiated the Mandatory Apprentice and Permit Worker Program effective January 2, 2020. All inexperienced employees hired on or after January 2, 2020, must be sponsored and accepted into the program as either an apprentice or permit worker and must be registered through the LIUNA Chicagoland Training Fund website at www.chicagolaborers.org. To be considered an experienced worker and thus exempt from these programs, an individual must meet at least one of the following requirements:

  1. Became a member of the LIUNA before January 2, 2020 (not required to submit an Exemption Request Form)
  2. Performed a total of 2,400 hours or more of construction work* or
  3. Completed any other LIUNA apprentice program or other Building Trades apprentice program.

*Please note that work for a signatory contractor in the jurisdiction of the Chicago Laborers' District Council does not count toward the 2,400-hour requirement.

All employers requesting an exemption to the Mandatory Apprentice Program must fill out and submit a Contractor Mandatory Apprenticeship Exemption Request Form on our website at:

https://www.chicagolaborers.org/apprenticeship-exemption-program/apply

You will be required to provide the following:

  1. Contractor contact information
  2. Experienced Employee's information
  3. Documentation:
    • You will be required to total check stubs hours to 2,400 working hours or greater
      • Do not include vacation or time off hours as these are not considered working hours
    • W-2's - the Director of Apprenticeship may accept as proof when the hourly pay scale is verifiable presented and divided accordingly to identify the total number of work hours the W-2's represent.
    • A Pension Credit Hours Report from any other building trades union is acceptable in lieu of check stub hours as well.
    • Should you require to add further information to explain the reasons for the exemption, a separate letter can be uploaded along with the required documents.

Prior to the institution of the Mandatory Apprentice Program, all contractor associations were notified of the program's terms and were invited to the LIUNA Chicagoland Laborers' District Council Training Fund to address any additional questions or concerns. Accordingly, please contact your contractor association if you have any additional questions.

Any disputes regarding the Mandatory Apprentice Program must be submitted in writing to the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee at the following email address: jretondo@liunacltaf.org.

If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact John Retondo at 630-653-0006 ext. 252 or jretondo@liunacltaf.org

(PDF) Download PDF