Plumbers & Gasfitters of Local 5 Washington D.C.

What Plumbers & Gasfitters of Local 5 Washington D.C. does

Plumbers & Gasfitters Local Union 5 is a regional labor union chartered by the United Association (UA) on January 2, 1890, representing skilled plumbers, gasfitters, and related trades workers across Washington D.C., portions of Maryland, and portions of Virginia. The organization currently represents over 2,000 members within its jurisdiction and is governed by elected officers including Business Manager/Financial Secretary Treasurer Terriea "T" Smalls and President Daniel L. Garrison. Members gain access to the highest wages in the region along with company-paid benefits including health and welfare, pension, retirement savings, and vacation funds; the union cites that union members earn 28% more than nonunion workers as a recruitment proposition.

The union operates a five-year tuition-free apprenticeship and a state-of-the-art 34,000+ square-foot training facility in Lanham, Maryland, staffed by 25 Certified U.A. instructors and delivering credentials including Medical Gas, Backflow Prevention, CFC, Welding, OSHA/Safety, Journeyperson Plumbing and Gasfitter Licenses, and 32 college credits. Additional service lines include journeyman and helper membership tracks, veteran transition pathways through UA Veterans in Piping and Helmets to Hardhats, an organizing program targeting non-union workers, a signatory contractor partnership program, and a UA Plumbers Local 5 Medical Fund Health & Wellness Center operating in Lanham and White Plains, MD.

Local 5 distributes its workforce through a network of named signatory contractors — ADJ Sheet Metal, AINSWORTH, John C. Grimberg Company, R & R Mechanical, Limbach Group, and W.L. Gary Company among others — with direct manpower dispatch managed by Business Agents Michael S. Canales Jr. and Tony A. Solis through the union hall in Lanham. Revenue is generated primarily through membership dues as a recurring subscription model, supplemented by training program fees and benefits administration partnerships with BeneSys, Segal, and Ullico. Notable installations include plumbing systems at the National Archives, the Pentagon, and RFK Stadium, underscoring the local's role in mission-critical federal infrastructure.

Name

Plumbers & Gasfitters of Local 5 Washington D.C.

Legal name

Plumbers & Gasfitters Local Union 5

Website

https://local5plumbers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1890

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Plumbers & Gasfitters Local Union 5 is a 135-year-old UA-affiliated labor union representing over 2,000 plumbers and gasfitters across Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, providing a five-year apprenticeship, journeyman membership, signatory contractor workforce dispatch, and member benefits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plumbing Trade Union Services

NAICS

Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (23822), Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (238220)

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Pipefitting & Steamfitting (EDAOACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Plumbing & Pipefitting Contracting (IMAFALAC), Gas Piping Replacement & Re-Routing (HSAOAKAE), Gas Piping & Fuel Systems (EDAOACAG)

Keywords

• Plumbing trade union
• Apprenticeship training programs
• Skilled workforce dispatch
• Gasfitter certification
• Signatory contractor network

Headquarters

HQ city

Lanham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Union Membership Dues: Members pay dues to maintain union membership and access benefits including health & welfare, pension, retirement savings, and vacation funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Plumbers & Gasfitters Local 5 is a labor union representing plumbers, gasfitters, and metal trades workers across the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. It provides union membership representation, a five-year tuition-free apprenticeship training program, journeyman/helper entry pathways, veteran transition programs, organized labor outreach, manpower dispatch to signatory contractors, and member benefit services (health, welfare, pension, retirement, vacation funds) through a 34,000+ square foot training facility and Wellness Center.

Product overview

Plumbers & Gasfitters of Local 5 Washington D.C. is a labor union organization (not a technology product company) offering a comprehensive portfolio of workforce development and membership services. The core offerings include union membership representation for over 1,600-2,000 members, a five-year tuition-free apprenticeship training program, journeyman and helper programs, veteran transition programs, organizing services, signatory contractor partnerships, a wellness center, and a state-of-the-art training facility. These services work together to provide skilled craftsmen to the plumbing industry while offering members competitive wages, benefits, and career advancement opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Union Membership Program Representation for plumbers, gasfitters, helpers, apprentices, journeymen, and metal trades workers in the Washington D.C. metro region. Provides collective bargaining, highest regional wages, and company-paid health and welfare, pension, retirement savings, and vacation fund benefits.
• Apprenticeship Training Program Tuition-free five-year apprenticeship program providing hands-on training and classroom instruction leading to Medical Gas Certification, Backflow Prevention, CFC Certification, Welding Certification, OSHA/Safety certifications, Journeyperson Plumbing and Gasfitter Licenses, and 32 college credits.
• Journeyman Interest Program
• Helper Program
• Veteran Programs
• Organizing Services
• Signatory Contractor Partnership
• Manpower Request Services
• Signatory Contractor Directory
• Wellness Center
• Training Facility

Quantifiable outcome

• Union members earn 28 percent more than nonunion workers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• IBEW Local 26minorOthersBrotherhood organization and sponsor for 135th anniversary celebration
• IUOE Local 77minorOthersBrotherhood organization and sponsor for 135th anniversary celebration
• UA Local 393minorOthersUnited Association local union and sponsor for 135th anniversary celebration
• UA Local 486minorOthersUnited Association local union and sponsor for 135th anniversary celebration
• UA Local 602minorOthersUnited Association local union and co-founder of training facility - joint training fund trustees with Local 5
• UA Local 669minorOthersUnited Association local union and sponsor for 135th anniversary celebration
• United Association (UA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent union organization providing training material, class outlines, and direction to all affiliated local unions. Spent over $100 million annually on training programs involving approximately 100,000 journeymen and apprentices in over 400 local training facilities
• UA Get InvolvedcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPolitical and legislative affairs partnership enabling UA members to get involved in political and legislative processes at national and local levels
• UA Veteran's in Piping ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeteran workforce development program supporting military veterans transitioning to civilian careers as plumbers
• Helmets to HardhatscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational veteran career training program connecting military veterans with careers in the construction trades
• BeneSysminorOthersBenefits administration partner - sponsor for 135th anniversary celebration
• SegalminorOthersHR and benefits consulting - sponsor for 135th anniversary celebration
• UllicominorOthersUnion insurance provider - sponsor for 135th anniversary celebration
• Virginia AFL-CIOminorOthersState labor federation and sponsor for 135th anniversary celebration

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research): National non-union credentialing body that issues standardized craft certifications and curriculum for plumbing, HVAC, and pipefitting — an emerging alternative pathway to Local 5's apprenticeship credentials for open-shop workers.

Broad incumbents

• United Association of Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Service Techs (UA): International parent union of Local 5 and 400+ affiliated locals; the most direct comparable as the umbrella organization that sets training standards and provides program direction to all UA local unions including Local 5.
• Sheet Metal Workers Local 100 (Washington D.C.): Washington D.C.-area sheet metal workers union offering the same union-membership, apprenticeship, and signatory-contractor model as Local 5 in the same regional building-trades ecosystem.
• IBEW Local 26 (Washington D.C.): Sister building-trades union serving the same D.C. metro jurisdiction; operates a similar apprenticeship, dispatch, and benefits model for electricians and is listed as a partnership sponsor of Local 5's anniversary.

Direct peers

• Plumbers Local 130 (Houston): Major UA plumbers local covering the Houston metro area; operates the same apprenticeship training, journeyman dispatch, and contractor-signatory model as Local 5 but at meaningfully larger scale.
• Plumbers Local Union No. 1 (New York City): Large, long-established UA plumbers local serving the NYC metropolitan area with similar membership, apprenticeship, training-facility, and signatory-contractor business model; directly comparable in structure and service mix.
• UA Local 690 (Philadelphia): UA plumbers, pipefitters, and HVAC service techs local serving the Philadelphia region; runs the same apprenticeship, journeyman referral, and signatory contractor programs as Local 5 in an adjacent mid-Atlantic market.
• Plumbers Local 78 (Los Angeles): UA plumbers local covering the Los Angeles area; directly comparable in offering apprenticeship training, journeyman dispatch, and benefits administration to signatory contractors in a major U.S. metro.

Regional players

• Helmets to Hardhats: National non-profit connecting military veterans to construction-trade careers across multiple unions; a strategic GTM partner for Local 5's veteran pipeline and a partial alternative to its apprenticeship funnel.

Others

• Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC): National open-shop trade association representing non-union contractors; the principal competitive counter-organization to UA locals like Local 5 for both contractor membership and craft workforce training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXDPiLABF_MFnhzBI8MeD4w
• Facebookfacebook.com/Local5Plumbers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plumberslocal5
• Instagraminstagram.com/plumberslocal5dc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Plumbers & Gasfitters of Local 5 Washington D.C.