Need Help Finding Work? Visit the BAC Job Information Center!
It’s that time of year again when weather causes
work opportunities in some markets to slow. If you’re
willing to travel for work, then the BAC Job Information
Center (JIC) may be able to help you find a job.
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A contractor requests craftworkers
from the Local. |
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If the Local can’t meet the demand,
it faxes a “Craftworker Request Form” to the JIC. |
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The JIC searches its system for members looking for work that have the required skills. |
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JIC notifies the members identified of the work opportunity. |
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Interested members contact the Local that submitted the request to the JIC. |
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The Local notifies the contractor that it can meet the demand and provides the names of the BAC craftworkers who will fill the positions. |
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The JIC was established to help
out-of-work members, and those
who want to travel, find work in
areas where the demand for BAC craftworkers is greater than the Local in the area can meet. Through the JIC’s computerized job system, BAC members have access to information about job openings that is not available to non-union craftworkers. As
a BAC member, you’re guaranteed union wages, benefits, protection
and support when you work in another BAC Local’s market area.
All BAC journey-level members, as well as apprentices or improvers in good standing with two or more years of experience, may take advantage of the JIC. Participation helps members keep a steady income and benefit stream when work slows in their home Local, and provides a good opportunity to see the country and meet other members.
Enrollment in the JIC is free and
as easy as 1-2-3. Just follow these simple steps:
- Request an enrollment form from your Local officer or the JIC by calling (202) 772-3830 or sending an email to jic@bacweb.org.
- Complete the enrollment form and mail or fax it to:
BAC Job Information Center
International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers
1776 Eye Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20006
Fax #: (202) 383-3250
- Once enrolled, you will receive a personal ID card and number to activate your name in the JIC system. Simply call the 24-hour toll free number (1-800-992-9954) to activate your name. The toll free number is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
If
you take advantage of the JIC, or find
work outside of your home Local through
other means, Code 4B of the IU’s
Constitution requires that you check
in with the Local into whose area you
have traveled for work:
“As soon as possible, but in no event
later than forty-eight (48) hours after
securing employment outside the territory
of the member’s home Local, a traveling
member shall advise the Local in whose
territory the member is employed, through
the Business Agent or Financial Secretary,
unless the Local handles such matters through
a Job Steward, of the name of the member’s
employer and the job location.”
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This last step alerts the JIC that you are available to work. Once your name is activated in the system, the JIC will automatically notify you by phone of work opportunities, or you can call (202) 772-3830. When you receive information about a job through the JIC, you will be instructed to contact the Local officer in that area for specific information about the job
and other instructions.
If your work status changes, you can simply call the toll free number to de-activate your name until you are once again available to travel for work.
Canadian members can work in the U.S. providing they are members in good standing with a BAC Local and meet the immigration requirements of each government. [To be a member in good standing, an individual must be a dues paying member of a local union affiliated with the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers and be current with their IU and local dues.]
Construction Workers Incorporated (CWI), overseen by a trust established by BAC and the International Council of Employers of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (ICE), was established to help Canadian members sort through each country’s immigration laws and requirements and obtain appropriate work visas. CWI serves as a stand-alone placement service that applies for all visas on behalf of Canadian BAC members, making the application process more reliable, shorter, and less expensive than it would be for an individual contractor or member.
For a Canadian worker to obtain
a visa to work in the U.S., the U.S. Department of Labor has to certify
that there is a demand for workers that cannot be met by U.S. workers. Visas are employer and area specific, so Canadian members may only work
for CWI signatory contractors within a certain area, as determined by the DOL. Individual workers are not allowed to apply for visas on their own and members receive CWI visas at no cost.
For More Information:
To learn more about the JIC call (202) 772-3830 or email jic@bacweb.org.
For more information about CWI call (202) 457-9041.
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