Union and Building Trades Discount
You build the city. We will look after the ink. Active union members get a discount - show your card and your artist applies it to the quote.
Union strong, permanently
San Diego runs on trades. The ships, the towers, the freeway, the houses on the hills - none of it happens without somebody in a hard hat showing up at five in the morning. A trade tattoo is not decoration. It is a record of what you did with your hands and who you did it alongside.
We give a standing discount to active members of building trades unions. Bring your card or a dues receipt to your consultation and it comes off the quote. No app, no code, no expiring promotion.
The card check is not us being difficult. The offer exists to put money back in the pockets of people who are actually paying dues and working under a union contract, and checking is the only way to keep it honest.
Which unions qualify
Any local of these international unions qualifies, not just the San Diego ones. The locals below are the examples we work with most, since they are the halls down the road from the studio. If you are in from out of town and carry a card from any of these, that counts.
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) e.g. IBEW Local 569 Inside wiremen, linemen, sound and communications, power professionals.
- Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) e.g. SMART Local 206 Sheet metal, HVAC, architectural metal and rail.
- United Association of Plumbers, Pipefitters and Sprinklerfitters (UA) e.g. UA Local 230 Plumbers, pipefitters, welders and service technicians.
- International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers e.g. Iron Workers Local 229 Structural, reinforcing and ornamental iron.
- United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC) e.g. Carpenters Local 619 Carpenters, millwrights, pile drivers, drywall and floorlayers.
- International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) e.g. Operating Engineers Local 12 Heavy equipment operators, cranes, surveyors and stationary engineers.
- Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA) e.g. Laborers Local 89 Construction craft laborers, concrete, demolition and cleanup.
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters e.g. Teamsters Local 166 and Local 481 Building material, construction, industrial and hauling.
- International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) e.g. IUPAT District Council 36 Painters, glaziers, drywall finishers and floor covering.
- International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) e.g. Bricklayers Local 4 Bricklayers, tile setters, stone and marble masons.
- Operative Plasterers' and Cement Masons' International Association (OPCMIA) e.g. Cement Masons Local 500, Plasterers Local 200 Cement masons, concrete finishers, plasterers and stucco.
- International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) e.g. Elevator Constructors Local 18 Elevator and escalator construction and service.
- United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers e.g. Roofers Local 45 Roofing and waterproofing.
- Road Sprinkler Fitters e.g. Sprinkler Fitters Local 669 Fire sprinkler systems and life safety piping.
- International Brotherhood of Boilermakers e.g. Boilermakers Local 92 Boilermakers, riggers and pressure vessel work.
- Plaster Tenders e.g. Plaster Tenders Local 1414 Tenders supporting the plastering trades.
- Allied Workers e.g. Allied Workers Local 5 Specialty construction and allied crafts.
- Gunite Workers e.g. Gunite Workers Local 345 Gunite and shotcrete.
- United Association - Landscape and Irrigation (UA) e.g. UA Local 345 Landscape, irrigation and underground specialty piping.
If your local is not on that list, ask anyway. We would rather have the conversation than turn someone away over a technicality.
What people ask us for
The classics, mostly. Crossed hammers. A Local number. Boots, pliers, a torch, a wrench. A skull in a hard hat. The tool you have been holding since you were nineteen, rendered properly instead of looking like a sticker.
- Ironworkers. Beams, rivets, hooks, Local numbers, and the skyline you actually built.
- Electricians. Lineman boots, pliers, lightning, ohm symbols and the tools you have blistered your hands on.
- Welders. Hoods, arcs, sparks, beads and a torch you have been holding since you were nineteen.
- Plumbers and pipefitters. Wrenches, gauges, valves and the Local you have been paying into for twenty years.
- Carpenters and millwrights. Framing hammers, squares, saw blades and a union card older than some of our artists.
- Operating engineers. Heavy iron, tracks, buckets and a machine you know better than your own truck.
- Mechanics and diesel techs. Wrenches, pistons, gear patterns, skulls in a hard hat. The classics, done well.
- Laborers and concrete. Trowels, rebar, boots and the fact that nothing stands up without you.
Which style holds up
American traditional, without much argument. Bold outlines, flat saturated color and heavy black survive decades of sun, dirt, gloves and jobsite abrasion. A trade tattoo is something you will be showing off for the rest of your working life, and traditional is built for exactly that.
Black and grey is the other solid route, especially for a single strong image like a tool or a portrait. What we would talk you out of is anything fine and delicate in a spot that is going to see a real job site. Fine line is beautiful. Fine line on a forearm that spends its life under a truck is a bad investment.
See American traditional or black and grey for examples of both.
Retirement and memorial pieces
We do a lot of these, and we take them seriously. Retirement pieces with years of service, Local numbers, and memorials for people who did not come home from a job. Bring whatever you have - a photo, a crest, a patch, a scribbled note - and we will take the time to get it right.
Getting a Local number wrong is not something you can quietly fix later.
Union and trades tattoo questions
Do you need to see a union card?
Yes. This discount is for active union members, and we do ask to see your card or dues receipt when the discount is applied.
It is not us being difficult. The offer exists to put money back in the pockets of people who are actually paying dues and working under a union contract, and checking is the only way to keep it that way. Bring your card to your consultation or your first session and your artist will apply it to the quote.
If your card is in a truck somewhere, no drama - send a photo of it before your appointment and that is fine.
Which unions qualify?
All 22 affiliates of the San Diego County Building and Construction Trades Council qualify, along with the Teamsters locals that cover building material and construction hauling. The full list is on this page.
That covers IBEW, SMART, UA, Iron Workers, Carpenters, Operating Engineers, Laborers, Teamsters, Painters, Bricklayers, Cement Masons, Plasterers, Elevator Constructors, Roofers, Sprinkler Fitters, Boilermakers, Allied Workers and Gunite Workers.
If your local is not listed, ask anyway. We would rather have the conversation than turn someone away over a technicality.
Do you tattoo union logos and Local numbers?
Yes, and we take them seriously. Bring a clear photo of the crest, bug or Local number. Getting a number wrong on a union piece is not something you can quietly fix later, and a lot of these are worn as a point of pride for a full career.
We can also work the traditional iconography - crossed hammers, gear wheels, hard hats, the tools of your trade - into something that reads well at a distance rather than looking like a sticker.
What is the best style for a trade tattoo?
American traditional, without much argument. Bold outlines, flat saturated color and heavy black hold up over decades of sun, dirt and gloves. A trade tattoo is a piece you are going to be showing off for the rest of your working life, and traditional is built for exactly that.
Black and grey is the other strong option, particularly for a portrait of a tool or a piece built around one strong image. What we would steer you away from is anything fine and delicate in a spot that is going to see a job site.
Where should I put it?
Forearms and upper arms are the standard, mostly because you can show them off without taking a shirt off. Shoulders and calves work well for larger pieces.
The practical consideration is whether your employer has a policy. Plenty of trades are relaxed about it and plenty are not. If visibility is a concern, an upper arm or thigh keeps your options open.
I want a piece for a retirement or a fallen member
We do a lot of these. Retirement pieces with years of service, Local numbers, and memorial pieces for people who did not come home from a job. Bring what you have and we will take the time to get it right.