Getting to Know

As an Apprentice with United Association Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Pipefitters Local 725, you are entitled to receive fringe benefits paid on your behalf by the contributing employers of the Mechanical Contractors Association of South Florida.

This page will give you information on your wage packet, negotiated wages and other information on advantages of being a union member.

Understanding

Your UA 725 Employee Package

There are 2 parts to your UA 725 Employee Package

The 1st part is your taxable wage rate, this is the minimum amount negotiated by the Union for your wage per hour you work and is paid directly to you by your employer via payroll.

The 2nd part is the fringe benefits, this is the amount negotiated by the Union for your health coverage, your pension benefit, your defined contribution account and local education/training. This amount is paid by your employer on your behalf directly to the benefit funds.

These 2 parts (wages & fringes) make up your UA 725 Employee Package, which is negotiated by the Union and paid solely by your employer.

Now out of your taxable wages, your employer deducts 2% of your wages for Union Working Dues and $0.30 per hour worked for UA Political Education Committee, Market Recovery and Organizing as noted on your signed referral. These are non-fringe assessments that you directly pay out of your wages.

Get to Know Your Paycheck Deductions...

Have you wonder what your employer is deducting from your paycheck??

Deductions on your paycheck should only be for your Union's gross wage assessment, which is 2% of that pay period's gross wages, including travel and non-working hours paid.

There should also be a deduction of $0.05 per hour worked for the Political Education Committee, $0.15 per hour worked for Market Recovery and $0.10 per hour worked for Organizing. Some employer may choose to lump these 3 assessment into one deduction of $0.30 per hours worked.

Additionally, if you elected to make an employee contribution to your DC account, that amount you elected per hour will also be a deduction from your paycheck.

If you are not sure of the deductions on your paycheck, you should reach out to your employer's payroll department or to UA Local 725 for assistance.

Negotiated Wages

UA Local 725 and the Mechanical Contractors Association of South Florida negotiate your wage and benefit packages as an Apprentice.

When you complete a year of training and advance to the next level in your education, you earn an increase in your wages and possibly benefits.

This increase occurs in the next payroll period following when ARPEC notifies your employer of your advancement.

Did you know....

Working Non-Union is not all its cracked up to be

A non-union contractor may offer you a 401(k) benefit but that benefit is typically an employer match, which means you have to put money from your gross wages into the benefit and the non-union contractor may match your amount up to a certain level. Your retirement balance is determined by how it is invested and if the economy is having issues, your retirement balance may be less than you want or expected. And oh by the way, the benefit is usually a lump sum benefit, not monthly.

By working for a UA 725 Contractor, you are able to vest in a Defined Pension Benefit, which will pay you a monthly benefit when you retire. This accrued benefit amount will not be lowered because of investments, this amount will be consistent for the remainder of your life when you retire.

In addition to the pension benefit, you are also able to vest in a Defined Contribution Retirement Benefit, which will provide you with an additional retirement benefit and you can make that benefit grow even more, by electing to defer contributions from your gross take home pay.

A non-union contractor may offer you health insurance but you will be paying a portion of the monthly premium cost and if you have a family, you will be paying a lot more out of your pocket to provide coverage for your family. That is in addition to co-payments and deductibles.

Working for a UA 725 contractor, you pay nothing out of pocket to receive your monthly union health coverage which includes coverage for your family at no additional cost. Your UA 725 contractor pays the negotiated amount per hour paid toward your health coverage. You only have your co-payments and deductibles, no monthly premium cost.

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