The first step with entering into a union building trades apprentice program is to apply for the program and be scheduled for an entrance exam. MWELA reimburses any application fee that a student has as long as they take their scheduled exam. MWELA also prepares the student for the exam with a 10 week “Test Preparation Class.” These classes are held three times a year. The class is held three days a week and is offered in the day and evening to accommodate the students’ schedules.

After completion of the exam, the unions begin their selection process. The process can take from four to eight weeks before the applicant is notified whether they scored high enough for an interview. During this time, MWELA starts the student’s second 10 week course which is “hands on.” This course is held on Saturdays from 7 A.M. – 11:30 A.M. During this course, the student will become familiar with hand and power tools, construction material and safety.

MWELA also prepares the trainees for their interview if selected by the apprenticeship committee. If the student is invited into the apprenticeship program, MWELA will assist with initiation fees, drug test fees, required book purchases and tools.

Since the conception of MWELA, all local union building trades have been enthusiastic in working with MWELA students and participating in the MWELA trade fair. The MWELA trade fair is held every year at the MWELA School in Manchester on the North Side of Pittsburgh. Each union trade sends a representative to the fair and explains its trade and apprenticeship program.

Participation in the pre-apprenticeship classes has steadily grown, starting in 2004 with one class a year with 12 students to today with having over 90 people a year complete the course.

The MWELA program is a free program that is funded by various grants and foundations. The program is open to anyone regardless of race or gender. The success of the individual is dependent on the student’s willingness to learn, attendance in class and their persistence in their pursuit of a construction career.

At present 74 students are now in or have completed their union apprenticeship program and are enjoying a rich and rewarding career. These are not just “a job,” but with union construction trades they are careers. The differences between a construction job and a career in the union building trades are many and exceptional. With a career in the union building trades, the craftsman has available formal training by expert craftsmen, family medical insurance, pensions and savings plans, and a livable wage. They become respected citizens in a profession and are able to make important contributions to society through their labor.

More than 5,000 union building trades workers were needed to construct the new Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood..

Eric Cartwright Eric Cartwright currently serves as the Vice President, Corporate Construction and Real Estate of UPMC. Prior to his promotion to Vice President in

January 2007, he served as Associate Vice President, Facilities and Construction. He is a registered Professional Engineer and received his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. Mr. Cartwright currently serves on the UPMC Passavant Board of Trustees, the Board of Directors for the Engineers Society of Western Pennsylvania (ESWP) and the Board of Directors of the Regional Industrial Development Council (RIDC). He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Urban Land Institute.

UPNC/UNION LABOR SHARE COMMON VALUES

By Eric Cartwright
Vice President

UPMC Corporate Construction and Real Estate As 2009 was coming to an end, I had an opportunity to reflect on the year and the many projects UPMC was involved in constructing throughout the past 12 months. From the very largest project, the new Children’s Hospital in Lawrenceville, to some of the smallest, like an interior fit-out for a family physician practice, I’m very proud to be part of the group of people here at UPMC, who along with the rest of the construction industry in western Pennsylvania, are enhancing the lives of those in our region.

While I don’t provide the healthcare, my staff and I provide many of the facilities where UPMC practices its health care mission. Generally, these clinical facilities are complex to build, operate and maintain, and at times the safety of our patients is directly related to the proper functioning of the facility. Without the commitment of those involved in the construction process, there is no way to achieve the quality necessary for these complex projects. The facility, and theseemingly continual

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