NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | April 20, 2018 | PAGE 7
130 apprentices compete in Plumbers & Fitters Local 290 skills contest
Third-term plumber apprentice Kee-
gan Anneker was introduced to the
union trade his senior year at Crest-
well High School, where he attended
a career fair in 2015. It took him a
year to get in to the program, but
now, at age 21, he’s earning $24.66
an hour on his check, in addition to
health insurance and a pension.
When he turns out as a journeyman
in two more years he’ll make $44.84
an hour, plus $30.09 an hour in
fringe benefits.
Plumbers and Fitters Local 290 held an
apprenticeship contest April 7-8 at its
training center in Tualatin. A record 130
apprentices — ranging from second to
10th term — used their learned skills to
complete projects from blueprints. Com-
petition was timed and judged for quality.
Sixty Local 290 volunteers helped run the
contest.
Competition was held in four disci-
plines — plumbing, steamfitting/pipefit-
ting/sprinkler fitting, welding, and heat-
ing, ventilation, air conditioning and
refrigeration (HVAC/R), said Apprentice-
ship Coordinator Bob DeGraw.
“Like all the trades, men and women
compete equally in all the disciplines,”
said DeGraw.
The top finisher in each discipline ad-
vances to the Western Regional Appren-
tice Contest this June in Denver, Col- ABOVE. Apprentices compete in tube-bending portion of contest under the watchful eye of apprentice-
orado. There, they will go up against top ship coordinator Bob DeGraw. BELOW LEFT: Steamfitter apprentice Ashley Haysom competes in welding
apprentices from locals in 10 western contest. BELOW RIGHT: 4th term HVAC/R tech apprentice Lance Walker works at an alignment station.
states. Top placers in Denver qualify for
the national contest held in Ann Arbor,
Michigan, later this summer.
Top finishers at UA Local 290 were:
■ PLUMBER: 1. Kevin Kuborn; 2. Grant Caswell; 3.
Amanda Brook
■ STEAMFITTER: 1. Dale Christensen; 2. Levi Gillis;
3. Jeff Hennessy
■ WELDER: 1. Kyle Zanger; 2. Tyler Wittwer; 3. Kevin
Hawk
■ HVAC/R: 1. Dylan Webb; 2. Kurt Beagley; 3. Rob
Maslen