The United Association is an effective International union made up of the most skilled pipe tradesmen the construction industry has ever known. It is a union which protects its members and jurisdiction at every level. The United Association is composed of journeymen and apprentices in every division of the plumbing and pipe fitting industry. A democratic organization, with officers elected by the membership, the United Association is affiliated with the various departments of the AFL- ICO and the Canadian Federation of labor. The United Association is an International, having members in Canada as well as the United States.It is an organization that you can be proud to be part of.

A long time ago to, mankind learned that by teaming up with others, he could tackle any task with greater success. Thus, villages and towns were formed-together, men could provide a safer and more suitable life for themselves and their families. The principal of trade unionism is much the same. A union, a group of dedicated men and women striving toward the same goals, provides security and dignity for all the members. The voices of many are louder then the voice of an individual. The United Association speaks for its members, working to achieve job security, health and welfare benefits, a living wage, a safe working environment, and a comfortable pension. When you join a union, you are joining a democracy. Each member has the opportunity to voice his concerns and suggestions, working for a better life for all.

The United Association and its local unions work to provide members a fair wage and safe working conditions, process grievances, and protect members from unjust and the injurious competition. All local unions have training facilities, health and welfare plans and pension plans. The United Association provides training for both apprentices and journeymen, making UA craftsmen the very best. Journeymen may take advantage of training sessions which provide up to date technology necessary to United Association members so that they can be kept abreast of innovations and changes in the industry, thereby insuring that their skills are current and in demand. If you are working in an industry allied to the plumbing and pipe fitting trade it is important to your future to become a member of the United Association. Join with the thousands of craftsmen who have united to build a secure, prosperous future for themselves and their families.

United Association members work in a variety of settings from bungalows to power stations and the computer chip industry, doing new construction and maintenance, air conditioning, heating, refrigeration and plumbing service work. They install and service fire sprinkler systems, perform marine pipe fitting, gas fitting, pipe fabrication and assembly, lead burning, manufacturing of mechanical parts and equipment, air and water balance, pneumatic an electric control work, startup of all mechanical equipment, quality control and non-destructive testing on all types of jobs or products, appliance service and repair, in plant operation of mechanical systems, servicing utility plants and systems. As a United Association member, you may be working at your job on single-family residence, apartments, commercial establishments, office buildings, hospitals, airports, shipyards, fabrication shops, shopping centers, offshore oil rigs, manufacturing plants, refineries, power houses, pipelines, utility plants and systems, the computer chip industry and any other sites where work of the United Association is being performed.

Apprenticeship is a structured system of training designed to prepare individuals for occupations in skilled trades and crafts. It combines on the job training under the supervision of experienced journeyman workers with related classroom instruction. Apprentices who successfully complete the prescribed number of hours of training in a registered apprenticeship program are awarded certificates of completion.

Workers who complete apprenticeship programs can expect to hold good jobs at good pay. Their skills are a source of personal satisfaction as well as employment security. Statistics show that graduates earn higher wages, have more stable work records, and are promoted sooner and more often than workers who have not been trained through apprenticeship programs.

The minimum requirements for apprenticeship are:

• You must be 18 years old.
• You must have a High School Diploma and transcripts, or a GED.
• You must have a certified birth certificate from the county you were born in.
• If you have served in the military you must have a DD-214.
• Apprentices are selected on the basis of qualifications, without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

For the serious learner, it is the best way to learn a trade or craft:

• You can earn a regular wage while you learn
• You are supervised on the job by journeymen
• You are taught in class by an expert who is usually a journeyman
• You are taking these steps necessary to become a journeyman with the pay and prestige offered by the position