DC 16 Apprentices Compete in California State United Association Apprentice Contest

Apprentices from across the state recently competed in the annual California State United Association Apprentice Contest.

From May 16-18, California apprentices from about 26 UA locals demonstrated their ability, knowledge, and skill on their path to becoming a Journey Worker.  Hands-on projects and written assessments showcased union excellence in the disciplines of Plumbing, Pipefitting, Welding, HVAC-R, Landscape/Irrigation & Sprinkler Fitting.

CPMCA is proud to be a sponsor of the 2023 California State United Association Apprentice Contest, furthering our mission of creating the most expert, safety-focused workforce in Southern California.

The event drew hundreds of contestants and their families to the expansive UA Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 343 headquarters in Vacaville, CA. The contest culminated in an Awards Banquet on May 18, in which winners from each trade were announced.

Winning contestants advance to the Regional Competition in Las Vegas, Nevada at UA Local 525, June 13 through June 15, 2023.

Alongside A&J Training Trust, we were proud to have the Landscape/Irrigation Fitters compete in 2023.  This was the first contest for this classification.

Special awards were dedicated to first and second place finishers.  First place winners advance to the District 5 Regional Competition in Las Vegas, Nevada in June 2023.  In Las Vegas, 1^st place winners from 12 western region states will compete to advance to the national competition in August 2023 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

8 District Council 16 apprentices placed in 1^st or 2^nd in this year’s California State Contest. Congratulations to all apprentices who competed as well as placed!

Plumbers:

1^st:  Aurelio Zepeda Jr. – Local Union 78 Los Angeles (DC 16)
2^nd:  Brandon Rodriguez – Local Union 342, Concord

Pipefitters:

1^st:  Alex Lopez – Local Union 342, Concord
2^nd: Joseph Turner – Local Union 114, Santa Barbara (DC 16)

HVACR:

1^st:   Gavin McKeown – Local Union 250, Los Angeles (DC 16)
2^nd:  Jeffrey Nichols – Local Union 484, Ventura (DC 16)

Sprinkler Fitters:

1^st:   Kyle Salva – Local Union 483, San Francisco Bay Area
2^nd:   Juan Small – Local Union 709, Southern CA, Los Angeles (DC 16)

Welders:

1^st:  Miguel Espinoza – Local Union 250, Los Angeles (DC16)
2^nd:  Matthew Waltz – Local Union 393, San Jose

Landscape/Irrigation Fitters:

1^st:   Antonio Martinez – Local Union 345, Southern CA, Duarte (DC16)
2^nd:  Oscar Tapia – Local Union 345 Southern CA, Duarte (DC16)