Phone: 406.752.7680
LOCAL 768
Protect Montana's Apprenticeship Ratios
Updated On: Dec 07, 2021

Sisters & Brothers,

Regarding apprentice ratios, thank you for the action many of you took but we need to do more still!

Many of you took action on the harmful apprentice:journeyman ratio change proposed by Governor Gianforte and it’s greatly appreciated.

As you may remember, in September there was a proposal to change the apprentice:journeyman ratio from 1:2 to 1:1 and many other changes. As there were almost 900 comments against the proposed changes and putting forward our amendments, only one change was adopted. What is effective now is a pre-apprenticeship program. Each apprentice sponsor will be allowed to work one pre-apprentice for 100 days per year. They must take pre-apprentice courses approved by the Apprenticeship Bureau and these will take some time to be put in place.

But now, on the same day Gianforte’s Department of Labor put out the results of their last push, they are now proposing a new, ridiculous proposal to change the ratio from 1 apprentice to 2 journeymen to 2:1. That’s right, two apprentices to one journeyman! But, with current variances also remaining in place, it would allow a ratio of 5 apprentices to 1 journeyman.

This ratio affects all occupations with apprenticeships and has the potential to flood each profession with lower wage workers which will push wages down and more than likely lead to higher wage workers being replaced with two lower wage workers.

We urgently need you to take action at the online campaign we have set up. One month ago, we were able to get almost 900 people to take action. This time we need thousands! Please take action immediately and get your co-workers, family, friends & neighbors to do the same. This will affect everyone.

The public zoom hearing will be December 8th and we need you to take action immediately. This is a holiday month and it’s hunting season. There’s no mistake why the Gianforte administration chose this time to do this to us.

Click HERE to be forwarded to the online petition at Protect Montana's apprentices and journey workers! (actionnetwork.org) and you can immediately place your objection to this disastrous proposal.

Your voice matters so make sure it’s heard!


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Contact Info
IBEW Local 768
347 2nd Ave West
Kalispell, MT 59903
  406.752.7680

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