How to Join
Joining Us
Special Note:
Special Dispensation by the Carpenters General Office allows the Regional Council's four unions Local 1325, Local 2103, Local 2010 and Local 1460 to accept new members through the Organizing Department for only a $2.00 initiation fee.
All union dues are tax deductible.
We are in the business of representing all tradespeople working in the trades we represent.
To become a member in Alberta, print out out an Orientation Application Form (PDF) or pick up a copy at union offices in Edmonton, Calgary or Fort McMurray. This form requires proof of your time at the trade, and/or your trade certificates from Alberta or elsewhere. Information on the form tells you where to FAX or mail it, and any supporting information, to us.
Don't send us a Resume. Send Proof.
We need to see real proof, not summaries, or your past experience and training.
Our goal is to assure ourselves you're a qualified tradesperson, not a potential employee.
Journeyman certificates and apprenticeship documents show you've studied your trade. But we also need to know you have real-life, on-the-tools experience. Records of Employment or pay stubs show us for sure what experience you have and what pay scale you might deserve. So letters of reference and resumes don't hurt, and they may be valuable for a future employer to see, but to us they're nothing without pay stubs and records of employment.
Costs
Initiation Fee - $100
Dues - $25 per month, six months paid forward = $150
Yearly Social Fee - $10
Total Cost to Become a Member = $260
Do not send money in advance – we won't accept it. Sending advance payment does not speed up the process. You pay at the time of Orientation. Once your money is paid, you become a member. The next step is a mandatory 1-day Orientation Session at one of our offices.
Membership Requirements:
There are some rules for membership. Locals 1325 and 2103, for example, accept:
- Journeyman carpenters/scaffolders with tickets or provable time (pay stubs, employment or invoice records) in the trade.
- Apprentices (Alberta apprentices with log book, or out-of-province with proof of Apprenticeship). It's up to apprentices to establish relationships with employers and the Alberta Apprenticeship Board.
- People without formal apprenticeship, but are working at the trade and have significant (minimum 800) provable hours.
- Sons and Daughters of existing members.
- Those working non-union who help the ARC's Organizing Department in an effort to organize their employer.
- With the exception of sons and daughters of Members, we do not accept people with no formal training or provable time in the trade.