Building Pathways & IUEC – Together Providing Career Paths

Building Pathways is a non-profit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts. Their mission seeks to increase the number of diverse workers in the building trades workforce. Building Pathways works with International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) Local 4 Boston to help the recruitment, retention and advancement of under-represented groups in the building trades.

“Building Pathways offers equal education and equal pay to females and minorities” says, Pat Sampson, business representative and Financial Secretary for IUEC Local 4 (Boston).

ElevatorInfo recently sat down with Desalia Gomes, a first-year apprentice at IUEC Local 4 (Boston) who got her start through a pre-apprenticeship program with Building Pathways. In this video (part of her graduation speech was “Hey Local 4, I’m coming for you”), she shares her story of how the program provided an access point for her starting her dream job in the elevator industry. “It’s one of those things where you put it out into the universe and see it transpire, it’s like I did that. It makes me really proud to have something I was aiming for and to reach that goal”.

Part of what drew Desalia to the elevator trade where she began in April of 2021, like so many, is the wide range of knowledge and skills that elevator mechanics need to know. “Within the elevator trade you can be an electrician, you’re going to learn to put in floors, you’re going to learn carpentry, you’re going to learn how to weld, you’re going to be working ducts and machine rooms” says Desalia.

Also, the appeal of job growth and new opportunities inside of the Elevator Trade seem to equally excite Gomes, “I want to make sure I’m not stuck in one place, I want to make sure I have avenues for growth and there is no ceiling above my head”.

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Why Hire IUEC Elevator Mechanics For Installations, Modernizations, and Maintenance?

Benefits of Hiring IUEC Elevator Mechanics For Installations, Modernizations, and Maintenance

Whether you are interested in a new elevator installation, modernization or routine maintenance, you’ll want the elevator mechanics responsible for the job to be the best trained, knowledgeable, safe, and professional. The International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) can provide you with the help you seek. When you choose to work with an IUEC-affiliated elevator company that hires IUEC elevator mechanics, you can rest assured that you will benefit from the best service available in the industry for any elevator installation and maintenance project you might have. 

Available in every city across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, IUEC-affiliated elevator companies are sure to provide you with qualified elevator mechanics that will meet and exceed any of your demands, regardless of their complexity or size. But why are IUEC mechanics better than all other elevator technicians?

Highest Quality Standards Maintained

Work done on your elevator, escalator, or other people-moving equipment always needs to be done with the utmost care. That means hiring qualified professionals who understand their trade and its demands and maintain the highest quality standards throughout their work.

Safety is a priority. Less liable to any work-related injuries, unionized elevator mechanics are certified in areas such as OSHA 10, OSHA 30, welding, scaffolding, signaling and rigging, forklifts, CPR, and first-aid, to name just a few. As a building owner, this ensures that you work with professionals who have their safety priorities in check and certified.

IUEC Unionized Mechanics Get Constant Superior Training

IUEC mechanics have completed a four-year college-level (and college-accredited) apprenticeship training program. This means they benefit from 576 hours of classroom instruction at over 100 sites across the country and a minimum of 8,000 hours of on-the-job learning under the guidance and supervision of National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP) or Canadian Elevator Industry Educational Program (CEIEP) certified elevator mechanics. 

During their training, the soon-to-be IUEC elevator mechanics benefit from constant interactions with IUEC Mechanics and NEIEP/CEIEP qualified instructors. Unlike other industries, where most of the training programs are bland and purely theoretical, here, students gain practical knowledge through On the Job Learning (OJL) along with hands-on labs and high-tech virtual simulators at their disposal throughout their training program. This ensures that both the theoretical and practical knowledge are embedded in their training experience and that they are fully confident in applying their skills when out in the field.  

Specialty Work and Professionalism

Elevator mechanics must be proficient in a multitude of skills to provide quality elevator services. Whether it may be an elevator installation, modernization, or maintenance, all tasks demand the elevator mechanic have a unique combination of skills. 

IUEC elevator mechanics are skilled in relay logic, solid state, electrical, mechanical, piping, welding work, and everything in between. There is nothing that they cannot do at the utmost standards of work.

Ongoing Maintenance and Service

From the construction of elevators or escalators to maintenance, repair, and modernization service, IUEC elevator mechanics continue to evolve and improve with continuing education. While the equipment is ever-changing, the IUEC mechanics hone their skillset to keep pace with technology.

Learning never stops for the IUEC elevator mechanic – it’s not just a job. It’s a career that spans over a lifetime and generations. The IUEC elevator industry continues its efforts to create an excellent workplace for veterans with opportunities to find fulfilling careers with family-sustaining wages.

Professionals Able to Always Meet Your Demand

Working with an elevator company that employs IUEC member elevator mechanics ensures that you are provided with professionals who always meet your demand, no matter the job complexity. What sets IUEC elevator mechanics apart is their skill, continual training, and level of expertise in multiple areas and their lifetime commitment to their trade.

You can rely on an IUEC-affiliated company for a safe and efficient service. The IUEC elevator mechanic’s skill set covers all aspects of the elevator industry.

If you are currently on the lookout for an elevator repair, elevator installation, elevator modernization, elevator maintenance, or specific service-related task, choosing to work with a company that employs IUEC elevator mechanics is the best choice you can make. It ensures that you work only with the best, most capable professionals in the elevator industry.

Get in touch now with ElevatorInfo to find out more about the IUEC-affiliated elevator companies available in your region and hire the qualified personnel you need.

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You Can’t Do This Job and Be Distracted: An Interview with Elevator Constructor Wayne Mason

“You can’t do this job and be distracted,” says Wayne Mason, an International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) Elevator Constructor from the Dallas-Fort Worth area who suffered a three-story fall early in his elevator career.

ElevatorInfo had the opportunity to sit down with Wayne as the Local 21 retiree spoke about the memorable day when he and his wife signed for their first home. What began as a very happy day became a horrific one when the elevator constructor got distracted and fell three stories into an elevator pit.

“When you’re dealing with the machinery, the heights, the heavy equipment, and you’re distracted and not fully focused on the job, that’s when bad things happen. In this business, there’s no room for distractions because your life depends on it,” he said.

Wayne emphasized that no worker should ever discount safety – if a person is distracted at their job, that individual is not doing the job correctly. When working in the elevator industry, a seemingly minor distraction can lead to a life-or-death situation.

“We want everyone who works in this business to be safe. This is a message to everybody that wants to get into this business: there’s no room for distractions; we want you to be focused on the job because your life depends on it.”

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North Carolina elevator safety upgrade in rentals homes advancing

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The Associated Press recently reported on the advancement of legislation in the state Senate that is paramount to an invaluable principle that is at the core of work conducted in the elevator industry safety standards. The bill dictates that all elevators in cottages and/or related short-term housing rentals will be required to have space guards that close the gap between the elevator car and the elevator landing doors.

Check out the proposed NC House Bill here.

Several months ago, ElevatorInfo covered IUEC General President Frank Christensen releasing a statement praising a recall on home elevators due to this same issue, as well as commending U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and other advocacy groups for their efforts on improving safety on home elevators.

The full space guard article from the Associated Press can be viewed at https://bit.ly/3KBakft.

 

 

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