United Association

Last updated
United Association
United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada
AbbreviationUA
FormationOctober 11, 1889;134 years ago (1889-10-11)
Type Trade union
Headquarters Annapolis, Maryland, US
Location
    • Canada
    • United States
Membership (2014)
363,000 [1]
President
Mark McManus
Affiliations
Website ua.org OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

The United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada, commonly known as the United Association (UA), is a labor union which represents workers in the plumbing and pipefitting industries in the United States and Canada.

Contents

History

Membership (US records) [2]
Finances (US records; ×$1000) [2]
     Assets     Liabilities     Receipts     Disbursements

Journeymen in the pipe trades in the 1880s worked in three basic crafts: plumbers, steamfitters and gasfitters.

The first truly successful national body, the United Association of Journeymen Plumbers, Gas Fitters, Steam Fitters, and Steam Fitters' Helpers of the United States and Canada, was officially founded on October 11, 1889.

Gradually, former members of rival unions joined the United Association. The depression of 1893–1897 slowed the development of a stronger organization. Membership in the United Association grew to 6,700 in 1893, but fell to 4,400 by 1897. Yet, by that year 151 local unions were listed on its rolls.

Starting in 1898, the construction industry entered a period of expansion and prosperity that lasted until 1914. From 1898 to 1906 the United Association quadrupled its membership.

During its first years, the United Association was essentially a federation of local unions, rather than a truly national union of the pipe trades. The major breakthrough toward a unified national organization came at the 1902 national convention in Omaha, when delegates approved a Nationalization Committee proposal establishing a comprehensive system of sick, death and strike benefits.

As such reforms to strengthen the national organization were being made in the early part of the century, however, some locals broke ranks to form a rival union. In August 1906, members of the secessionist union realized the futility of further rivalry and agreed to affiliate with the United Association.

From 1898 to 1914, the United Association went through several phases of a struggle with the International Association of Steam and Hot Water Fitters and Helpers, a prolonged and sometimes bitter dispute both over jurisdiction over a craft (steamfitting) and work assignments (plumbers vs. steamfitters). The conflict affected other building trades when walkouts by the rival steamfitting organizations, as a result of their jurisdictional dispute, led to work stoppages by other crafts.

The strength of the United Association, and favorable rulings by the American Federation of Labor, including the revocation of the International Association's charter in 1912, ended this jurisdictional battle, but other jurisdictional issues would continue to challenge the union.

New disputes arose over the construction of chemical plants and other manufacturing and service establishments that required extensive piping systems. Large volumes of newer types of pipefitting installation in the shift from World War I wartime industries to peacetime construction caused considerable difficulties. Jurisdictional problems also developed with other national unions, but the United Association retained jurisdiction over important, growing areas of work like construction of industrial plants, public utilities, petroleum facilities and residential buildings.

In the first half of the century, the United Association moved to formalize apprenticeship training programs, including making a five-year apprenticeship mandatory in 1921, and in 1938 holding that all apprentices be members of the United Association and attend related training classes. Its National Plumbing Apprenticeship Plan of 1936 was the first set of standards governing apprenticeship to win approval of the federal government.

In the Depression, United Association membership fell from its 1929 peak of 60,000 to 26,000 by 1933.

After several constitutional changes through the years, the 1946 convention changed the name of the organization to its present name: The United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada.

Throughout World War II and after, the United Association made considerable gains in membership and prestige. Between 1940 and 1954 membership surged from 60,000 to 240,000 with veterans entering the skilled craftsmen field.

United Association member George Meany was elected in 1952 to be president of the newly formed AFL-CIO and was to provide a shaping force in the American labor movement until his death in 1980.

The New Frontier of President John F. Kennedy and Great Society of President Lyndon Johnson were movements supported by the United Association. With expanded training programs beginning in 1956, the UA was able to meet the demands of accelerated construction activity in the 1960s. With the increased work the slogan, "There is no substitute for UA skilled craftsmen" became widespread throughout the industry. By 1971 the UA was 320,000 strong.

Composition

According to UA's reports to the Department of Labor since 2000, the union has consistently had about 93 percent members in "building trades", the remaining 7 percent in "metal trades". Out of the total membership, most are considered "journeymen", with about 12 percent considered "apprentices". As of January 1, 2017, fourth- and fifth-year apprentices are eligible to vote in the union. [2]

From humble beginnings of 40 delegates representing 23 independent unions in 10 states and the District of Columbia, the United Association has grown to a powerful, international union representing over 300,000 members in more than 300 local unions (LU) throughout the United States and Canada. [3]

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Alberta

British Columbia

Manitoba

New Brunswick

Newfoundland and Labrador

Nova Scotia

Ontario

Prince Edward Island

Quebec

Saskatchewan

Yukon

Constitution

"The objects of this Association are to protect its members from unjust and injurious competition, and secure through unity of action among all workers of the industry throughout the United States and Canada, claiming, as we do, that labor is capital, and is the only capital that possesses power to reproduce itself or in other words, to create capital. Labor is the interest underlying all other interests; therefore, it is entitled to and should receive from society and government protection and encouragement." [4]

Leadership

Presidents

1889: P. J. Quinlan [5]
1892: Patrick H. Gleason [5]
1896: William F. Redmond [5]
1897: John J. Kelley [5]
1901: William M. Merrick [5]
1906: John R. Alpine [5]
1919: John Coefield [5]
1940: George Masterton [6]
1943: Martin Patrick Durkin [6]
1953: Peter Schoemann
1953: Martin Patrick Durkin
1955: Peter Schoemann [6]
1971: Martin Ward
1982: Marvin J. Boede
1997: Martin Maddaloni
2004: William P. Hite
2016: Mark McManus

Secretary-Treasurers

1889: Richard A. O'Brien [5]
1891: H. D. McGhan [5]
1892: Martin Counahan [5]
1897: William J. Spencer [5]
1900: L. D. Tilden [5]
1906: Thomas Dooley [5]
1908: John Love [5]
1909: Thomas E. Burke [5]
1941: Martin Patrick Durkin
1943: Edward J. Hillock
1958: William C. O'Neill
1966: Martin Ward
1969: William T. Dodd
1972: Joseph A. Walsh
1985: Charlie Habig
1991: Marion A. Lee
1997: Michael A. Collins
1998: Thomas Patchell
2005: Pat Perno
2011: Mark McManus
2017: Patrick H. Kellett

Related Research Articles

<i>Silphium</i> (genus) Genus of plants

Silphium is a genus of North American plants in the tribe Heliantheae within the family Asteraceae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1912 United States House of Representatives elections</span> House elections for the 63rd U.S. Congress

The 1912 United States House of Representatives elections were elections for the United States House of Representatives to elect members to serve in the 63rd United States Congress. They were held for the most part on November 5, 1912, while Maine and Vermont held theirs in September. They coincided with the election of President Woodrow Wilson.

The Oberlin Group of Libraries is a consortium of liberal arts college libraries. The group evolved from meetings of college presidents in 1985 and 1986 at Oberlin College. As of 2021, it has 80 members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central United States</span> Geographical region of the United States

The Central United States is sometimes conceived as between the Eastern and Western as part of a three-region model, roughly coincident with the U.S. Census's definition of the Midwestern United States plus the western and central portions of the U.S. Census's definition of the Southern United States. The Central States are typically considered to consist of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Mississippi and Alabama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republican Study Committee</span> Caucus in the US Congress

The Republican Study Committee (RSC) is a congressional caucus of conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives. In November 2022, Representative Kevin Hern of Oklahoma was elected as the chair of the RSC, effective as of January 2023.

In the United States House of Representatives, the two major political parties maintain policy and steering committees. Their primary purpose is to assign fellow party members to other House committees, and they also advise party leaders on policy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Association of Fire Chiefs</span> International fire fighting association

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is a non-profit network of more than 12,000 fire chiefs and emergency officers in 30 over countries. The Association was established in 1873 with John S. Damrell as president. It is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, United States. The President and Chair of the Board is Donna Black, Fire Chief, of Duck, North Carolina. The CEO and Executive Director is Rob Brown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of the United States</span> Overview of and topical guide to the United States

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the United States:

<i>Diarrhena</i> Genus of grasses

Diarrhena, or beakgrain, is a genus of Asian and North American plants in the grass family.

The Congressional Western Caucus is a caucus within the United States House of Representatives composed of 62 members. Although it has historically been bipartisan, it is currently composed almost exclusively of Republicans. It was founded by then-representatives James V. Hansen (R-Utah), Bob Stump (R-Arizona), Joe Skeen and Barbara Vucanovich (R-Nevada) in 1993 during the 103rd United States Congress. Despite its name, the Congressional Western Caucus has members from outside the Western United States, including as far east as New York City and Puerto Rico.

The U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus, founded in September 2003, is a bipartisan congressional organization with the conviction that “the United States of America has the opportunity, the obligation and the interests to advance the conservation of natural resources for this and future generations,” and a commitment to promote U.S. leadership in public/private conservation partnerships worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amash–Conyers Amendment</span>

The Amash–Conyers Amendment was a proposal to end the "NSA's blanket collection of Americans' telephone records", sponsored by Justin Amash and John Conyers in the US House of Representatives. The measure was voted down, 217 to 205.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congressional Arts Caucus</span> Political party in United States

The Congressional Arts Caucus is a registered Congressional Member Organization for the US House of Representatives in the 115th Congress.

The Conservative Climate Caucus is a caucus within the United States House of Representatives composed of 81 members. It was founded by Representative John Curtis (R-Utah) in 2021 during the 117th United States Congress. The caucus's self-declared purpose is to "Educate House Republicans on climate policies and legislation consistent with conservative values".

References

  1. ↑ US Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. File number 000-111. Report submitted September 29, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 US Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. File number 000-111. (Search)
  3. ↑ "History of the UA – UA Local 162" . Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  4. ↑ "The United Association - Constitution" (PDF). The United Association. 2005.{{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Segal, Martin (1970). The Rise of the United Association. Harvard University. ISBN   9780674773004.
  6. 1 2 3 Notable Names in American History. Clifton, New Jersey: James T. White & Company. 1973. p. 559. ISBN   0883710021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.