Safety & Standards

The time to invest in our workers is now. A well-trained workforce means better infrastructure and a stronger economy.

Decades of budget cuts have devastated our infrastructure, and engineers give our roads a “D” rating. Every day, Americans make 188 million trips over 56,007 bridges that are structurally deficient. Our roads are crumbling, contributing to traffic delays that cost us over $160 billion a year and cause more than 35,000 traffic fatalities. Cities across the country — like Flint, Michigan — have unsafe drinking water, and 240,000 water main breaks a year waste over 2 trillion gallons of water.


Diversity

Women in the Trades

In January of 2016, District Council 6/Local Union 707 (Strongsville, Ohio) welcomed and initiated new member Amanda Walsh into our great union. Sister Walsh is pursuing a career in the painting trade. Although she has only been with our union for a year, Amanda has proven to be a hard worker. Determined to improve the quality of life for herself and her 4-year-old daughter, Monroe, Amanda has been pushing herself to be an asset to both our union and her contractors. In addition to working 40 hours a week (sometimes more), Amanda also attends classes at her union hall.

Read More

District Council 6 – Amanda Walsh Begins Her Career in the IUPAT

Apprenticeship and Training

New Industrial Training

District Council 30 JATF Designs and Develops New Industrial Painting Mock-Up In January of 2017, District Council 30’s Joint Apprenticeship & Training Fund (JATF) unveiled the initial phase of a new industrial training mock-up for industrial apprentices starting enrollment this year. The complex steel structure will be used to supplement classroom learning, providing apprentices with an opportunity to train in job-like conditions.

Working with a structural engineer from Cordogan & Clark, CST Industries, Safespan, and Safeway, the JATF designed phase one of the industrial mock-up to replicate a 22,000 gallon storage tank. The storage tank was designed to simulate a variety of hands-on training scenarios, including rigging access, containment, blasting, painting, and confined space work. Plans were finalized and approved in the summer of 2016, and the first phase of assembly began later that fall.

Read More

Apprentices begin training on portions of DC 30’s newly acquired industrial painting mock-up. The completed steel structure will consist of a 22,000 gallon storage tank and a section of bridge columns.

A Career Pathway for Service members

The United Association’s Veterans In Piping (UA VIP) Program is recognized as one of the most effective programs for providing high-quality training and employment to U.S. transitioning military members. The UA VIP Program offers substantial benefits to all stakeholders.