Who this policy applies to:

Crafts-workers covered by the UW System Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Rationale:
The purpose of this operational policy is to provide compensation structures and benefits information for crafts worker employees working at a UW System institution.

Policy Detail:
1. Policy Purpose

The purpose of this operational policy is to provide compensation structures and benefits information for crafts-worker employees working at a UW System institution.

2. Policy Background 

Crafts workers in the UW System are employees who are skilled journeypersons crafts workers in the following building trade titles:

• Bricklayer and Mason
• Carpenter
• Electrician
• Elevator Constructor
• Glazier
• Heat and Frost Insulator
• Painter
• Plasterer
• Plumber
• Sheet Metal Worker
• Steamfitter
• Terrazzo and Tile Setter
• Welder

When administered in accordance with Wis. Stat. Chapter 230, compensation structures and benefits administration for crafts workers were covered under the State of Wisconsin Compensation Plan or under an applicable collective bargaining agreement.  Effective July 1, 2015, compensation and benefits for UW System crafts workers will be administered according to this operational policy.

3. Policy Definitions

Crafts worker means a UW System employee who is a skilled journeypersons crafts worker, including the skilled journeypersons crafts worker’s apprentices and helpers, but does not include employees who are not in direct line of progression in the craft.

Trades Supervisors: For the purposes of this policy, trades supervisors are University Staff positions in the UW System that supervise crafts workers. This may include, but is not limited to, Trades Supervisor (FP038), Trades Superintendent (FP056), Instrument Shop Manager (FP045), and Instrument Shop Supervisor (FP046). Individuals who supervise crafts workers, but who are classified as Academic Staff, are not covered by this policy, regardless of job title.

4. Policy 

A. Compensation 

The pay of crafts workers with documented satisfactory performance will continue to be based on the crafts workers’ rates set by OSER in 2009 and increased as a result of subsequent general wage adjustments (see Appendix 1pdf).

B. Additional Compensation 

1. The statewide additional pay for spray painting shall be fifty cents ($0.50) per hour added to the regular hourly compensation rate.
2. Lead crafts workers will be paid in accordance with the adjusted hourly rate schedule, plus they may be provided an additional fifty cents ($0.50) per hour.
1. Temporary lead crafts workers will be paid in accordance with the adjusted hourly rate schedule, plus they may be provided an additional twenty cents ($0.20) per hour.
3. Trades supervisors will be paid at least one dollar ($1.00) per hour more than the adjusted hourly rate for the highest paid craft worker supervised, or at least one dollar ($1.00) per hour more than the adjusted hourly rate for the craft in which they have journeypersons status, whichever is greater.
4. Shop supervisors, Shop managers and Trades superintendents will be paid at least one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50) per hour more than the pay rate established in accordance with (3) above, for the highest paid crafts worker supervisor supervised, or at least one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50) per hour more than the adjusted hourly rate for the craft in which they have journeypersons status, whichever is greater.

NOTE:  The additional pay for supervisors listed above will always be based on the rate paid crafts workers as adjusted for the 100 hours of annual leave. The applicable adjusted hourly rate is considered to be the base pay rate for pay administration purposes.

C. Vacation 

Crafts workers will be provided vacation in accordance with provisions in SYS 1210, Vacation, Paid Leave Banks, and Vacation Cash Payouts, except as indicted below.

1. Crafts workers have three vacation options.
1. They will be granted 100 hours (12½ days) of vacation on an annual, fiscal year basis,
2. But they may elect, with a corresponding adjustment to their hourly rate, an increased vacation allocation of either 140 hours (17½ days), or 180 hours (22½ days).
3. If an employee wants to elect a different vacation option, the employee must submit a written request to his or her institution no later than June 30th of the year.  If no election is made by June 30th, the employee will retain his or her current vacation allocation.
2. Vacation will be prorated if the crafts workers are part-time employees or are not employed for the entire fiscal year.
3. Crafts workers are not eligible to bank unused vacation into a paid leave bank or receive a vacation cash payout at the end of the calendar year.
4. If vacation is not used within the fiscal year it is earned, any remaining vacation may be carried over until the end of the following fiscal year. Any carried over vacation remaining at the end of the following fiscal year (June 30) will be lost. An institution may further limit the amount of vacation that may be carried over.

D. Personal Holiday

Crafts workers are not eligible for personal holidays.

E. Health Insurance Premiums 

If a crafts worker, crafts worker supervisor, shop supervisor, or crafts operation manager chooses the health insurance offered by the UW System, that employee is eligible for the employer share towards health insurance premiums (effective January 1, 2022) as administrered by the Department of Employee Trust Funds. See Wis. Stat. § 40.05(4)(ah). Effective January 1, 2022, crafts workers are eligible for the opt-out incentive regardless of their health insurance enrollment in plan year 2015. Additionally, crafts workers are eligible for the employer contribution to the health savings account if they enroll in a high-deductible health plan.

F. Eligibility for Supplemental Health Insurance Conversion Credits (SHICC) 

Crafts workers are generally not eligible for Supplemental Health Insurance Conversion Credits (SHICC) as provided for in Wis. Stat. § 40.95.  Crafts worker supervisors, shop supervisors, and crafts operation managers are eligible for SHICC.

Supporting tools:

• Current Collective Bargaining Agreement: https://www.wisconsin.edu/uw-policies/uw-system-administrative-policies/labor-relations-and-collective-bargaining-procedures/?
• Vacation Options Election - Wisconsin Building Trades: https://uwservice.wisconsin.edu/docs/forms/hr-vacation-option-election.pdf
• UW System Administrative Policy 1238: https://www.wisconsin.edu/uw-policies/uw-system-administrative-policies/crafts-workers/

Responsibilities:

N/A

Links to related information:

• Wisconsin State Statute 40.05 (4)(ah): https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/40/I/05/4/ah?view=section
• Wisconsin State Statute 40.95: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/40/IX/95
• Wisconsin State Act 2019, 80: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2019/related/acts/80

Revision history:

Original adoption April 2015

Format updated June 2025