Crafts Workers

Original Issuance Date: July 1, 2015

Last Revision Date: March 6, 2025

Effective Date: July 1, 2025

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. Responsible UW System Officer

Associate Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer

3. Scope and Institutional Responsibilities

Per Wis. Stat. § 36.115, this policy applies to all UW System Institutions, except UW- Madison.

4. Policy Background

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

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

FP036 Bricklayer and Mason
FP037 Carpenter
FP039 Electrician
FP040 Elevator Constructor
FP041 Glazier

FP042 Heat and Frost Insulator
FP049 Painter

FP050 Plasterer
FP051 Plumber
FP053 Sheet Metal Worker
FP054 Steamfitter
FP055 Terrazzo and Tile Setter
FP060 Welder

5. Policy Definitions

Crafts worker: A UW System employee who is a skilled journeyman crafts worker, including the skilled journeyman crafts worker’s apprentices and helpers, but does not include employees who do not perform skilled trades as defined by the State of Wisconsin.

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) and Trades Superintendent (FP056). Individuals who supervise crafts workers, but who are classified as Academic Staff, are not covered by this policy, regardless of job title.

6. Policy Statement

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 Crafts Workers/ Trades Rates).

B. Additional Compensation

I. The statewide additional pay for spray painting shall be fifty cents ($0.50) per hour added to the regular hourly compensation rate.

II. Lead crafts workers will be paid in accordance with the adjusted hourly rate schedule, plus they may be provided at least an additional fifty cents ($0.50) per hour.

1. 1. Temporary lead crafts workers will be paid in accordance with the adjusted hourly rate schedule, plus they may be provided at least an additional twenty cents ($0.20) per hour.

III. 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 journeyman status, whichever is greater.

IV. 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 journeyman status, whichever is greater.

NOTE: The additional pay for supervisors listed above will always be based on the rate paid crafts workers as adjusted. 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 indicated below.

I. 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 their institution no later than June 30th of the year. If no election is made by June 30th, the employee will retain their current vacation allocation.

II. Vacation will be prorated if the crafts workers are part-time employees or are not employed for the entire fiscal year.

III. 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 fiscal year.

IV. 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 or Trades Supervisor, 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 administered 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.