FAQ

The UA bargains the best collective agreements in our industry. Our wages, pensions, and benefits are the highest in Ontario. UA  training is second to none and covers all safety, trade licenses, continuing education,and career advancement possible. If you’re serious about a career in the piping trades you belong with the UA.

Workers are dispatched off the list to our contractors. When the contractor needs to reduce their workforce those members return to the list to be sent to a contractor who has the work, this is most common with visiting contractors doing large projects. Lots of members are only dispatched once and work at the same place for 30 years, local contractors often keep large core group of workers.

New members from the nonunion or apprentices are the lifeblood of our union, there’s always spots with contractors looking for employees with your skill set. We work to make sure there’s a good fit.

No you don’t. You’re a journeyperson in your trade. Training is always offered by the UA but is not required, the courses you choose to take, and when, are up to you.

You’re welcome to put in a resume at any of our union halls. We’re organizers we’re looking for people who want to help build our union and contractor base. If there isn’t enough support at your employer we’ll work to get you membership.

We have a partnership with our signatory employers but we represent you we’re here for people, our members.

The workers decide whether or not the shop they work at becomes a union shop. Our collective agreements don’t get in the way of how employers run their business. We’re there to get you the wages pipe trades workers in Ontario should make.

We work hard to build good relationships with newly organized employers. We use tools like transition agreements to help them become union shops. It’s illegal for an employer to close their business and reopen another following a certification and we make sure that doesn’t happen.

We know that’s a concern. Cards are confidential and are only seen by the organizer and the Ontario Labour Relations Board if an application is made. Nobody else ever sees or knows about your card.

It depends on the work your contractor does but in general in Ontario we need 55% of employees to want to join the union, we can’t do anything with one card.