Policy Under Review
UW System Administrative Policy 1238 (formerly GEN 21)

Crafts Workers

On October 2, 2024, President Rothman approved the interim policy action SYS 1200-13, Interim: University Staff and Crafts Worker Vacation, Paid Leave Banks, and Vacation Cash Payouts. (This interim policy action will be effective on January 1, 2025.) As a result of ATP, University Staff will be transitioning from calendar year to fiscal year benefits accrual to align them with other employee types. This interim action is designed to ensure that University Staff accrue the correct amount of paid time off for the transition from period running from January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2025, and to ensure a clear understanding of the transition period for employees and supervisors.

This policy was a part of the former UPS Policy set that was integrated into the System Administrative Policy set. It applies to all University of Wisconsin institutions except for UW-Madison. For UW-Madison’s policies, please see the Human Resource Design Policies website.

Original Issuance Date: July 1, 2015
Last Revision Date: December 22, 2021

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

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 crafts workers 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

3. 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), 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 Crafts Workers/Trades Rates).

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 at least 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 at least 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 journeyman 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 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.

The following language is from the interim policy action SYS 1200-13, Interim: University Staff and Crafts Worker Vacation, Paid Leave Banks, and Vacation Cash Payouts. It is effective from January 1, 2025 – June 30, 2025.

1. Crafts workers have three vacation options during the effective period of this interim policy.

a.  They will be granted 50 hours of vacation for the period of January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2025.

b.  But they may elect, with a corresponding adjustment to their hourly rate, an increased vacation allocation of either 70 hours, or 90 hours.

c.  If an employee wants to elect a different vacation option, the employee must submit a written request to their institution no later than December 31, 2024. If no election is made by December 31, 2024 the employee will retain the six-month equivalent of their current vacation allocation (for example, Employees who had elected 100 hours annually will be retained at the 50 hour level for the duration of this interim policy. When SYS 1238 is updated to reflect the fiscal year vacation schedule, effective July 1, 2025 the employee’s election will be retained at their most recently selected annualized allocation).

d.  For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025 and ending June 30th 2026, employees will be required to maintain the vacation election they made for the period of January 1, 2025 through June 30th, 2025.  This means:

1.  If they elected to receive 50 hours of vacation for the period of January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2025, they will be granted 100 hours of vacation for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025.

2.  If they elected to receive 70 hours of vacation for the period of January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2025, they will be granted 140 hours of vacation for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, with the corresponding adjustment to their hourly rate.

3.  If they elected to receive 90 hours of vacation for the period of January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2025, they will be granted 180 hours of vacation for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, with the corresponding adjustment to their hourly rate.

4.  Employees will have the option to change their vacation election through the procedure outlined in the revised draft of SYS 1238, with the effective date of that election being July 1st, 2026. 

2.  Vacation will be prorated if the crafts workers are part-time employees or are not employed for the entire calendar 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.

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 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.

5. Related Documents

6. Policy History

Revision 2: December 22, 2021

Revision 1: January 16, 2021

First approved: July 1, 2015

Reviewed by the Board of Regents, April 10, 2015