A trade union represents the collective interests of workers, bargaining with employers to negotiate the best wages and working conditions for its members. Trade unions have local chapters, each of which obtains a charter from the national-level organization. For elevator constructors, that organization is the International Union of Elevator Constructors (the IUEC). The apprenticeship is administered by NEIEP as a trust fund established through collective bargaining between the union and signatory companies. Apprenticeship with the IUEC means that you are in training to become a union elevator constructor.

The National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP) is a joint labor-management educational trust fund serving the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) and the employers who employ its members. Apprentices will work with a mechanic to get on-the-job training and go to class one night per week for four hours. Students will attend classes, learning everything from safety to electrical, where they can take the information they learned in the classroom and apply it in the field. After successful completion of all classes and on the job learning hours, apprentices are eligible to take the mechanic exam.

Because of collective bargaining, union apprenticeships offer amazing benefits.

• Higher Salary and Benefits – Union workers command higher wages on average compared to non-union workers. Unions also use their collective bargaining power to pave the way for better salaries, pensions, health insurance, sick pay, overtime, and more.
• Job Security – Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of joining a union is job security. Unlike non-union workers who are hired “at will,” union workers can only be fired after an employer proves they have “just cause” to do so.
• Safety – Union trade workers have better access to training and education, which makes them safer workers. Study after study has shown that workers in union workplaces are less likely to suffer a fatal on-the-job accident compared to non-union workers.