Plumbers’ unions offer training, benefits, and a vehicle to address workplace issues. The United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters is the national union for plumbers in the US. Members receive medical, dental, and vision benefits, as well as pension plans. The union negotiates contracts with employers and can strike if necessary. Unions have become politically motivated organizations that contribute to political campaigns.
A union is an organized group of employees who pay dues to bargain collectively with their employer. A plumber’s union is a specific type of union for plumbers. Plumbers’ unions offer training and other benefits to employees who join their group. Employees of unionized companies are required to join the union to obtain employment.
The national union for plumbers in the United States is the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA). To join the AU without any experience, a prospective member must enter a five-year apprenticeship. After hundreds of hours of classroom instruction and thousands of hours of hands-on experience, an apprentice plumber becomes a journeyman. Throughout their career, journeyman plumbers who belong to a plumbing union will need to continue their education to maintain their licenses.
In addition to offering training to its members, the union offers a number of other benefits. UA members receive medical, dental and vision benefits from their employers. Their family members also receive these benefits. Additionally, UA offers member assistance programs for people dealing with abuse, anger, depression, alcoholism, and a host of other things. Members of the UA plumbers union also receive some sort of pension or retirement plan.
The plumbers union negotiates these benefits with companies that employ their union members. These benefits are a contractual obligation agreed upon by both the company and the union. Furthermore, salary is also negotiated under the terms of a contract, which lasts approximately three to five years. In the event that the plumbers’ union and a particular company cannot agree on the contract, the union can vote to strike. Beginning in the 1980s, strikes are not as effective as they once were because US President Ronald Reagan granted companies the right to hire non-union workers to replace striking workers.
Other benefits enjoyed by a member of a plumbing union are intangible. A union offers plumbers a vehicle to address workplace issues without being penalised. If a company fails to pay a plumber the correct amount, violates the contract between the company and the union, or wrongfully fires an employee, it can file a complaint with the plumbers union. The union will work with the employer to resolve the issue.
In the 20th century, trade unions have become politically motivated organizations. Unions, including the AU, have contributed millions of dollars to political campaigns over the years. This practice has become controversial because not all union members want their dues spent on campaign contributions. Unless a member signs a waiver desiring that his dues not be used for political purposes, a good portion of his dues will be spent on helping elect legislators and union presidents.
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