John Jovic, business manager and financial secretary of Local 12 Heat and Frost Insulators, said that when he first talks to new apprentices in the union he tells them to think of their work not just as a job but in terms of time.
“You’re going to probably be doing this for the next 30 to 40 years of your life,” he said, adding that it would be the thing that provides for their family even after they retire.
LaborPress spoke to Jovic shortly after the union held its swearing in ceremony for 19 new union apprentices on Oct. 3 to discuss the future of the trade and the union’s outlook on training a new generation of insulators.
Local 12 Heat and Frost Insulators, which is based out of Astoria, is part of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers, located in the U.S. and Canada. Over the decades, mechanical insulation has grown more advanced and the union has expanded to include other related skills like firestopping, infectious disease control, asbestos and lead mitigation, sound attenuation and specialty fabrication.
The insulators work in building developments that could range from a mom-and-pop storefront to a high-rise or JFK Airport, where the $19 billion overhaul of the has provided a steady stream of work for the insulation trades. Because of the complexity and variety of the trade, the apprenticeship program requires a commitment. The training program lasts four years, requiring 1,000 hours per year.
Throughout the education program, apprentices learn the basics of pipe and duct insulation to more complicated installations like chiller equipment, stainless steel jacketing and the specialized work that goes into water pollution plants and powerhouses.
Like most construction industry trades, Local 12 apprentices learn on the job on a variety of projects that the union’s 44 signatories contractors are hired to do.
“I always try to encourage contractors to let them do different types of work. You might see that someone’s strong suit is maybe pipe insulation, but you want them all well-rounded,” he said. “We can kind of monitor who’s been doing what during the course of a year.”
Another key project for the union is the JP Morgan building, a supertall skyscraper, which has been under construction in Midtown Manhattan since 2021.
“We probably have upwards, I would say between 40 to 50 insulators on that job. And that job basically comprises everything: plumbing, installation, mechanical fire, stopping and all that,” Jovic said.
For apprentices, union training doesn’t always end after four years. It takes a persistent effort to stay ahead of the curve in the insulation industry, Jovic said. That’s why the union offers continuing education classes for its members to either upgrade more technical skills or refresh their skills on certain things they may not have seen in a while.
“Materials have changed over the years,” Jovic said.
The union will often host manufacturers to introduce their members to new materials and train them further on installation techniques.
As far as the union’s trajectory, Jovic said that insulation was at a promising point in the growth of the industry, but one new direction the union is heading in dovetails with the rise in sustainable development. It has begun training its members to perform energy audits on buildings, both for environmental reasons and cost-saving.
“People try to skip money in the beginning when they’re building the building, not realizing you are wasting money down the road,” Jovic said.
Addressing the new apprentices who are just starting out their new career, his main advice is simple: go to work on time, leave on time and do their work well. During the course of the assignment, they’ll find some job sites to be a perfect match, others to be more of a challenge.
“No matter who you work with, you can learn from that person,” Jovic said.
