Can someone explain the A, B, C Card?

[MechanicallyInclined]

Can someone explain the A, B, C Card HVACR Service to me? Are these all considered Journeyman? Is it called, for example, "B Card HVACR Service Journeyman"? Please enlighten me. I was told the C Card is the Metal Trades Residential Journeyman.

[AStudent]

I might be wrong, but I think it depends on the state you live in. Might check your states website for licensing info or give them a call.

The way the licensing works at least in Arkansas is how much you want to pay and how well your test scores are determines what you can work on...here are the Arkansas licenses.

(1) Class A — Entitles the licensee to perform HVACR work without limitation to
BTUH or horsepower capacities;

(2) Class B — Entitles the licensee to perform HVACR work on air conditioning systems
that develop a total of not more than fifteen (15) tons of cooling capacity per unit or one million
(1,000,000) BTUH heating input per unit and refrigeration systems of fifteen horsepower (15
h.p.) or less per unit;

(3) Class C — Entitles the licensee who is in the business of servicing and repairing
heating, ventilation, air conditioning, or refrigeration equipment for the public to service, repair,
or replace components of HVACR equipment and to perform HVACR work on air conditioning
systems that develop a total of not more than fifteen (15) tons of cooling capacity per unit or one HVAC/R*Law*
11 million (1,000,000) BTUH heating input per unit and refrigeration systems of fifteen horsepower
(15 h.p.) or less per unit. A Class C license holder shall not install any original HVACR
equipment or replace any existing HVACR equipment;

(4) Class D — Entitles the licensee to perform sheet metal work as it relates to ductwork
for HVACR systems without regard to or limitation of horsepower of the system to which the
duct connects. The licensee in this category is prohibited from the sale, installation, and service
of HVACR equipment and systems;

(5) Class E — Entitles the licensee to perform refrigeration work as defined in § 17-33-
101 without regard to or limitation of horsepower. The licensee in this category is prohibited
from the sale, installation, and service of heating and air conditioning equipment used for the
treatment of air for human comfort requirements; and

(6) Class L — Entitles a licensee to apply for and obtain a restricted lifetime license
without having to pay a license fee in any specific category of license as defined in this chapter.
The applicant must be at least sixty-five (65) years of age and hold a current license in good
standing with the board. The board shall promulgate rules and regulations to define the specific
requirements of the lifetime license.

[MechanicallyInclined]

I'm sorry this thread is about the terminology used by some Local Unions. I believe Chicago, Philadelphia, New York and some others are some.

[artman934]

638 in NY; A is the fitters, B is service/metal trades/whipping boys

[honeywell kid]

A card is journeyman
B card is 50 tons and under
C card is apprentice
Hope it helps

[MechanicallyInclined]

A card is journeyman
B card is 50 tons and under
C card is apprentice
Hope it helps

In Chicago, are you sure an C Card isn't a Metal Trades Journeyman?

[y7turbo]

In Chicago, are you sure an C Card isn't a Metal Trades Journeyman?

It is..

Also I think B card goes up to 200 ton.

[jpsmith1cm]

A. B. C.

Another way to divide and conquer.

[softtail]

A Card = Your Daddy or Uncle is a fitter/member, and they like you

B Card = A relative is a fitter/member, and they don't like you

C Card = You don't know anybody in the local, and they need a low paid guy to do work they don't want to do

[valdelocc]

A Card = Your Daddy or Uncle is a fitter/member, and they like you

B Card = A relative is a fitter/member, and they don't like you

C Card = You don't know anybody in the local, and they need a low paid guy to do work they don't want to do

thats pretty much the way it goes.
In my local we dont have the abc clasifications, most service techs are BTJ similar to A card, then we have MES and thats like C card, they are now using another classification "light commercial and residential" the total package very similar to MES, 60% to 80% of BTJ.
There is fierce opposition among services techs to the program, the pipefitters/plumbers union leaders and some owners are the driving force behind it.
when they threw you into one of those classification you'll never get out of it.

[MechanicallyInclined]

thats pretty much the way it goes.
In my local we dont have the abc clasifications, most service techs are BTJ similar to A card, then we have MES and thats like C card, they are now using another classification "light commercial and residential" the total package very similar to MES, 60% to 80% of BTJ.
There is fierce opposition among services techs to the program, the pipefitters/plumbers union leaders and some owners are the driving force behind it.
when they threw you into one of those classification you'll never get out of it.

By MES, do you mean Service Craftsman a.k.a. Serviceman? My home Local has the same classification with the Service Journeyman above Sm and the Service Tradesman below Sm. These classifications come from the NSMA.
I was looking into going into the AZ Local, they don't have Servicemen or Tradesmen. Their Jm is basically a Sm and their Applied Jm is a Jm. Please also remember that I'm talking HVACR Service, not Building Trades Refrigeration Pipe Fitters a.k.a. RefrigerationFitters. All these Local classifications got my head spinning.
This is what I've been told, in Chicago - A Card is Jm (Applied), B Card is Sm (Com. Ref.) and C Card is MT Jm (Res./LC). If this is correct, is it how most of the Card systems work?

[Achicagoperator]

The Chicago breakdown for stationary engineers as far as cards\titles are concerned is as follows..........1)Chief....2)Assistant Chief........3)A Card.......4)C Card.....5)Apprentice.

[Carbon]

Does anyone know why they call it metal trades when you can't touch steel pipe or sheetmetal?