Contractors seek clarification of pipefitting exemption; unions warn of weakened licensing

Boston — Contractors and labor representatives offered conflicting views on House Bill 4,543, which would clarify a statutory exemption for pipefitting licensing when work is performed on certain institutional property.

"The purpose of House Bill 4 5 4 3 is to clarify the existing statutory exemption found in chapter 87 or it's found in section 87, chapter 146," Edward D'onga, an attorney for the Construction Industries of Massachusetts Labor Relations Division, told the committee. He said the bill would confirm that when an institution hires an outside contractor to perform yard piping work, those contractor employees would not be required to hold a pipefitter license "just as the institution's directly paid employees are not required to possess a pipe fitters license when performing the same work."

Terry Sweeney of Pipefitters Local 537 opposed the bill, saying licensing requirements protect safety and that a recent state inspection at Smith College found the work in question should be performed by licensed pipefitters. "We are a licensed craft... An attempt to water down the license, we take personally and in doing so, also undermines the work that our state inspectors do," Sweeney said.

Proponents asked the committee to report H 4543 favorably to resolve inconsistent enforcement by the Bureau of Pipefitters, Refrigeration Technicians, and Sprinkler Fitters. Opponents said the bill could reduce worker protections and urged continued enforcement of licensing rules. The transcript records no committee vote during the hearing.