• You're one step from joining Welding Forum – Fabrication, MIG, TIG & Career Development.
    Create a free account to post, follow threads, and never miss an update.  Sign up free →

does ua.org hire felons

StillAlive

Active member
Joined
Apr 25, 2025
Messages
33
City & State/Province
Montana
My bro is a fellon, last year he was learning to weld in Cali and now wanna join the UA Local 32 as an apprentice when he moves back here.

but I can't help but wonder if his criminal record will make it hard to get in.

does ua.org hire felons? Is there anyone with UA experience here who can give me some info? Thanks!
 
Last edited:
If i remember correctly, ua doesn't explicitly say they don't work with people who have a record, but I'm guessing it depends on what your brother did. I would reach out to them, explain the situation and see what their answer is
 
Yes, UA Local 32 may accept felons, depending on the offense and time passed...they evaluate applicants individually. He should contact the local directly, they've helped people with records before
 
hi @StillAlive I notice that this thread is from a few months ago, I just wanna tell you that you should contact the ualocal32 website, to be clear. if your bro can't get into their apprentice program, you could always apply for an Officer or Business Agent position
 
@StillAlive It really depends on the local and what the conviction was for. Some locals are more flexible than others, and certain offenses are bigger roadblocks than others - violent crimes or theft can be tougher since you're often working on job sites with expensive equipment and around other people and I also agree with @welder B0b here on the right moves to make
Good point @holywelder
 
best move is just calling local 32 directly. most unions are pretty transparent about their criteria, and if hes been clean since then plus has welding experience, that counts for something. way better than wondering what their stance is
 
Back
Top