UA Union Card Tittles

[raven22]

ok so for the UA union cards local 638 metal trades ny what do all the different abbreviations mean like MES,MTJ,BTJ,DVH,DVJ,tradesman,and anyothers

[HVACJOEK]

MTJ = Metal Trades Journeyman "B"
BTJ= Building Trades Journeyman "A"

[MechanicallyInclined]

Please correct me if I'm wrong. 638A is Construction Journeymen Pipe/SteamFitters & Pipe Welders. 638B is Service Journeymen HVACR Techs.

[supertek65]

i am not in NY but my card says DVJ MES
I have no idea what DVJ means? I still make $46 an hour with $22 benefit package 3 pensions and pay the same dues as everybody else!

MES is mechanical equipment service

we do not have A or B

[HVACJOEK]

i am not in NY but my card says DVJ MES
I have no idea what DVJ means? I still make $46 an hour with $22 benefit package 3 pensions and pay the same dues as everybody else!

MES is mechanical equipment service

we do not have A or B

That is what my card is as well, I don't remember what the DVJ stands for either. I will have to find out monday.

[supertek65]

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have had that card for 10 years!

probably worked about 25,000 hours in that time.
you would think I would know what the heck it means??????????

if you find out
post it here or PM me!

That is what my card is as well, I don't remember what the DVJ stands for either. I will have to find out monday.

[wundumguy]

i am not in NY but my card says DVJ MES
I have no idea what DVJ means? I still make $46 an hour with $22 benefit package 3 pensions and pay the same dues as everybody else!

MES is mechanical equipment service

we do not have A or B

I believe DVJ MES means:
Division Trades Journeyman - Mechanical Equipment Service

[Tech Rob]

My card says PDG or "Pink Doughnut Getter"

[MechanicallyInclined]

DVJ? Do you guys work for a National or NSMA signatory?

[MechanicallyInclined]

What exactly is a Gasfitter? Is that a Canadian title? Or just a Pipefitter that works w/Natural Gas?

[wundumguy]

It's not a Canadian thing. Example: UA Local 12 (Boston), Plumbers and GasFitters.
A Gas Fitter is typically a natural gas and/or propane fitter.

Gas Fitter is one of the three founding trades of the UA in 1889. The UA was originally named: The United Association of Journeyworker Plumbers, Gas Fitters, Steam Fitters, and Steam Fitters Helpers' of the United States and Canada. I suspect or would guess that in most locals, Gas Fitter does not exist as a stand alone trade in modern times since many Pipe Fitters, Plumbers, and HVAC/R Techs work with natural gas and/or propane.

[MechanicallyInclined]

Are what's called "Fitter" Locals a little bit more HVACR Tech friendly than what's called "Combination" Locals?

[wundumguy]

Are what's called "Fitter" Locals a little bit more HVACR Tech friendly than what's called "Combination" Locals?

One would expect a fitter's local to be less favorable for HVAC/R service technicians since the majority of fitters do not do service work. A service local or HVAC/R service local would be most favorable for HVAC/R service technicians.

The label, combination local is used in the UA Constitution to refer to a local that is chartered to have both a Building Trades Division and a Metal Trades Division. Building Trades generally refers to the direct pipe crafts such as plumber, steam fitter, pipe fitter, refrigeration fitter, sprinkler fitter. Metal trades generally refers to indirect pipe crafts that support or assist the piping industry and/or specialized, niche, support, and sub-crafts such as marine pipe fitter, solar installer, mechanical laborer, irrigation fitter, residential sprinkler fitter.

In casual conversation, the phrase combination local is sometimes used loosely to refer to a local where more than one trade is represented eg., plumbers and pipe fitters. It can also be used loosely to mean a local where both project and service members are represented.