In case you’re not familiar with our Fitter Features, 449 spotlights one of the many valuable members of our organization including instructors, union veterans, administrative staff, recruiters and business managers. This gives us the chance to highlight the accomplishments and unique journeys of our union brothers and sisters, and a glimpse into a different area of our organization that may not be familiar. Kicking off 2024, we’re featuring Welding Instructor, Eddie Green.   

 Eddie’s Steamfitter journey began with an intro to the trades from his father-in-law, who was a 35+ year journeyman out of Local 5. Much like his father in-law, Eddie is paying it forward by spreading the word about the opportunities available in the building trades, and has been since his inception.  

From part-time night welding instructor to a full-time integral piece of the 449 Welding program, while also training other apprentices, Eddie has put in a lot of work beyond his current leadership role. When asked about his time as a trainer in the program, Eddie said, “I went from helping 2 or 3 apprentices become great welders to being able to help SEVERAL apprentices become great.”  

Eddie added that after 17 or 18 weeks in the program, the sense of accomplishment in the volume of certifications that the apprentices have received is the most rewarding part of the job. Eddie also said, “Entering the Steamfitters union is not a good option, but a great option! Especially for young people. It allows them to enter a career without any debt for them or their family.”  

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