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Recognized as an Effective School-to-Work Practice,
December 2003
School-to-Career Union Mentoring Program
Teamsters Local 1150
Stratford, Connecticut
Overview of the Project
Local 1150 has a diverse membership of about 3,500
consisting of mechanics, electricians, machinists,
plumbers, production and maintenance workers, and others
who are all employed by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in
manufacturing helicopters for the United States
Government. The fleet of helicopters used by the
President and Vice-President of the United States are
manufactured by Sikorsky.
In the spring
of 2002, the local formed a partnership with its employer
and the local vocational high school system to adopt a
defunct school-to-career program used by the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) in Massachusetts
and recommended by the Connecticut AFL-CIO. The high schools
involved are
Bull-Haven Vocational-Technical in Bridgeport, Platt
Technical in Milford, Emmett O’Brien in Ansonia, and Kaynor
Technical in Waterbury. These schools were selected because
of their close proximity to the Sikorsky plant.
Each partner had its unique
role to play. The Union had the responsibility to solicit
and select mentors with whom the students would be paired to
work for eight weeks during the summer and to train these
volunteers to be quality mentors. The Employer’s role was to
determine which positions the interns would work and pay the
salaries. The schools’ role was to select the students based
on criteria agreed upon by the partners including
attendance, grades and community service. Recommendations
from teachers and the school administration were also
considered.
The Union secured a
commitment from the Employer that this would be a two-year
continuous program open to qualified junior and senior
students. Juniors would automatically be invited to return
for their senior year.
The Need
The local’s leadership took several factors into
consideration before finally deciding to embark on the
mentoring program. Young people in the community have to
be prepared to occupy skilled positions being vacated by
retiring union members. Few young people in the area
progressed into careers of their choice in high skilled
high wage jobs. Instead, many of them settled for
employment at Wal-Mart or McDonald’s. It is difficult to
get qualified people to fill vacancies in bargaining
unit positions; this program is one way to get new
qualified employees into the workforce and into the
union.
The area’s youth had the wrong concept of the role of a
union. Their typical perception was that unions always
strike for wages. The program gives youth the opportunity to
learn about unions and workplace rights in addition to
improving their quality of life. Information about labor
history and what unions have done for workers over the years
is not available in history books or included in the school
curriculum. The program offers young people an opportunity
of being hired into good jobs; and if not hired, they gain
job exposure that is rare for a young person out of high
school. They would also understand the hiring process and
the criteria used for selecting employees. Most important,
the program satisfies the need for youth to be a part of the
labor movement.
Meeting the Need
According to Joseph Grabinski, Chief Union Environmental
Health and Safety Steward and union coordinator of the
program, “The partnership with the employer and the
school system blossomed and we had the opportunity to
work together as a team for a common goal. It improved
our union’s relationship with the employer and our
community and we were able to accomplish much more than
we ever expected. Our members were becoming more
involved than ever and the schools and students were
beginning to realize what Teamsters are really about—an organization that not only cares for its members but
for the community in which we work and live. We were
able to show juniors in high schools what unions stood
for and how important it is to belong to a union.”
With a tight schedule, the Union had certain hurdles to
cross before finally embarking on the program. It realized
the importance of communicating with other partners,
especially the Employer, throughout the program from start
to finish. The Employer had to be convinced that minors
could be hired to work in hazardous situations without any
problems of liability to the company. The union worked with
the Department of Labor (DOL), the State Department of
Education, the employer and the school system to determine
what to do to permit minors to work in the industry,
unprecedented in the State of Connecticut. Eventually,
waivers were obtained from the DOL to permit the interns to
work in potentially hazardous situations while under the
watchful supervision of union mentors. The union obtained
this waver after it convinced the DOL that the program was a
mentoring and not a permanent job placement; interns would
be completely supervised by mentors. It is to be a
“cooperative work experience.” Paperwork was submitted to
the DOL, insurance liability requirements were cleared for
the employer, schools and school board. The DOL had to
assure the employer regarding liability.
Selection of Students
In the first year, twelve interns and six alternates were
selected from approximately 100 applicants to participate in
the program. However, about 1,000 students received
information about the program.
In a typical program, each of the three partners, the union,
the employer and the schools, has a separate role in the
selection process and each has its own coordinator. However,
the Union is the lead coordinator. The employer decides on
the positions to be filled and passes this information on to
the union. The union’s coordinator, Grabinski, relays the
job descriptions information to the schools. The union also
selects the members (employees) to serve as primary mentors
and alternate mentors making sure that there is a mentor for
every intern. The schools disseminate information about the
program to 11th and 12th graders and invite them to apply
for the available positions. According to Joe Grabinski,
“Students are selected based solely on their interests,
grades, attendance records, aptitude, behavior, and
community service. There is no nepotism whatsoever and no
overstepping by partners into other partners’ area of
responsibility.”
All mentors, active members of Teamsters Local Union 1150,
receive training through the AFL-CIO. They are taught
exactly how to mentor the interns–hours of work, do’s and
don’ts, being role models who are providing a learning
experience for the young people.
The Results
According to Grabinski, “Through participation in this
program, Local Union 1150 gained the respect of the
Employer, the school system and the community; the
local’s relationship with these entities has greatly
improved. The school community now has a better
understanding of the role of unions in the workplace and
in the community. The local has achieved its primary
goal to educate youth about unions by promoting unions
to over 2,500 students. Rank and file members of our
local also interacted in the program.”
Grabinski feels that the press was kind in providing
coverage for the program and that the community at-large
now has a better understanding of what the Teamsters Union
is all about in its representation of its members nationwide
and in Canada.
The Union is optimistic that the program will grow. It has
received verbal commitment from the Employer to increase
the number of interns to 40. The number has already been
increased to 24.
Reflections
In looking back, Grabinski said that the support he
received from his Principal Officer and Executive Board
was crucial to the success of the program. The Local has
no regrets embarking on the program and everyone
associated with it feels that it is very much needed for
the youth in the area, for the Union, and the employer.
Grabinski feels that this and other programs like it should
be shared with other locals and unions. He is willing to
disseminate information about this program and assist any
local or Joint Council who is interested in replicating it.
He thinks that it would be advantageous to work with the IBT
Education Department to develop links to information about
the program from the IBT website.
In speaking about the program, Local 1150’s Principal
Officer Rocco Calo said that, “At Local 1150, we are proud
of our tradition as advocates for community youth. The
School-to-Career Mentoring Project puts students in a real
work environment and enhances their overall educational
experience. This is just another way for us to not only
provide opportunities for area kids, but to indoctrinate
them into the labor movement and give them a first hand look
at what it means to be a Teamster.”
More Information
For additional information about the School-To-Career
Union Mentoring Program, contact:
Mr. Rocco J.
Calo, Secretary-Treasurer
Teamsters Local 1150
150 Garfield
Street
Stratford, Connecticut 06615-7101
Phone: 203-381-9240
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