The Central Illinois Mechanical Allied Crafts Council is composed of Electricians, Mechanical Insulators, Sheet Metal Workers, Plumbers and Pipe-fitters. We are local craftspeople who rely on our communities to support us (and in turn themselves) by hiring LOCAL signatory contractors. Our members collectively self-fund specialized training to educate our journey-people and apprentices. It is not paid for by any PUBLIC FUNDS. There is also no College Debt to the trainee. We test and then interview the top percentage of those candidates to allow entry into our apprenticeship programs. When contractors need a new apprentice, we select them from that pool, drug test them and enter them into extensive training, that when completed typically corresponds in classroom and field hours to between an associates and a bachelors degree. The length of apprenticeship ranges between 2.5 – 5 years depending on the trade and classification in the trade. In order to stay advanced when the apprenticeship is completed, there are various secondary courses as well as updated requirement training that is available. We are, and have been a crucial, contributing part of our communities for many, many years. With your understanding of the importance of buying local and supporting our community, we intend to remain that way!
We’ve been a responsible, contributing part of this community as an organization since at least:
S.M.A.R.T. (S.M.W.I.A.) – January 25, 1888
U.A. – October 11, 1889
I.B.E.W. – November 21, 1891
INSULATORS – July 7, 1903
“ Because peace of mind is an extremely valuable commodity, excellence in quality doesn’t cost more, it pays …dividends.” – Pablo Ardilla
Why Not Choose a Cheap, Irresponsible, Contractor?
There are irresponsible contractors from both inside and outside of this community that do not provide the extensive training for their workers that our programs do. If the employees are “trained”, the employee typically has only 9 months of basic household HVAC and appliance repair courses that they personally pay for, with no reimbursement. Irresponsible contractors do not support the workers with the same level of financial care that our contractors agree to. Irresponsible contractors do not pay for family or individual healthcare insurance for their employees. This issue combined with destitute level rates of pay contribute to sky-rocketing cost increases in premiums for the responsible rest of us because the employees sometimes are also on government assistance and can you guess who pays for that? The responsible rest of us, the irresponsible contractor is content with those who are civically responsible footing the bill. Sometimes rather than actually legally hiring an employee, the irresponsible contractor makes their worker an independent contractor. That way he doesn’t have to pay for workers compensation insurance or payroll taxes. Other times the employees of irresponsible contractors are being exploited as undocumented workers with conditions that for these workers can be similar to modern-day slavery. If you want to know how you can tell the difference between a responsible local contractor and one who isn’t, responsible local contractors are on these directory lists.
“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.” – Ben Franklin