What PLUMBERS & PIPEFITTERS LOCAL UNION NO. 441 does

Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union No. 441 (UA Local 441) is a Kansas-based labor union representing more than 1,800 members in the plumbing, pipefitting, welding, and HVAC trades. Founded in 1898 and affiliated with the United Association (UA) of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry — which represents approximately 355,000 members across North America — Local 441 holds jurisdictional coverage over nearly the entire state of Kansas, excluding six counties in the northeast corner. The union serves a two-sided constituency: trades workers seeking skilled employment, training, and benefits, and 100+ signatory mechanical contractors requiring certified workforce deployment for residential, commercial, healthcare, energy, and nuclear projects.

The union's core offerings include a 5-year apprenticeship training program operated jointly with Plumbers & Pipefitters Kansas Apprenticeship Training of Kansas (PPAK), combining classroom instruction with paid on-the-job training. Member-facing technology includes the ISAQR mobile application (iOS and Android) that enables QR-coded dues card scanning, certification viewing, and profile updates, plus a web-based online dues payment portal supporting credit card transactions and account management. The union administers member benefits including health and welfare insurance, a local pension plan, the UA National Pension Fund, and a KSR 401(k) program through Empower, alongside supplemental insurance through American Income Life and mental health services via Ulliance.

Local 441 operates as a member-funded not-for-profit labor organization. Primary revenue streams are recurring monthly member dues ('window dues'), one-time apprentice initiation fees, and affordable apprenticeship tuition. Distribution of labor to contractors occurs through a dispatcher system that places members on projects across Kansas and nationwide. The union invests over $1 million annually in workforce skills development in partnership with signatory contractors, and conducts ongoing recruitment via community presence, word-of-mouth referrals, the website, and a partnership with Helmet to Hardhats for military veteran placement.

Name

PLUMBERS & PIPEFITTERS LOCAL UNION NO. 441

Legal name

Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union 441

Website

https://ua441.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union No. 441 (UA Local 441) is a Kansas-based labor union, founded in 1898 and affiliated with the United Association, representing over 1,800 plumbers, pipefitters, welders, and HVAC technicians. The union delivers apprenticeship training, member benefits administration, and workforce dispatching to 100+ signatory contractors across Kansas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Skilled Trades Union Services

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs (BPACANAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Apprenticeships, Pre-Apprenticeships & Work-Based Learning (EDAAAOAC), Incumbent Worker Training & Upskilling (EDAAAOAE)

Keywords

• Skilled trades training
• Union apprenticeship programs
• Plumbing and pipefitting
• HVAC welding services
• Labor union representation

Headquarters

HQ city

Wichita, Kansas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Member Dues (Window Dues): Monthly union dues paid by members (apprentices and journeymen) to maintain active union membership. Collected via online portal or in-person at union hall.
2. Apprentice Initiation Fees: One-time initiation fees paid by apprentices upon joining, which must be paid in full before advancing in the program.
3. Apprenticeship Training Tuition: Affordable tuition for the 5-year apprenticeship program. The union emphasizes extremely affordable schooling costs with zero student loan debt upon completion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

UA Local 441 is a labor union that represents over 1,800 plumbers, pipefitters, welders, and HVAC technicians across Kansas. The union delivers a 5-year apprenticeship program combining classroom instruction with on-the-job training, collective bargaining for competitive wages and benefits, member services including health/welfare and pension administration, and dispatches skilled craftworkers to 100+ signatory mechanical contractors.

Product overview

UA Local 441 operates as a labor union providing membership services through a combination of training programs and digital member management tools. The core offerings include a 5-year apprenticeship training program for plumbing, pipefitting, welding, and HVAC trades, supplemented by digital services including the ISAQR mobile app for member self-service (viewing certifications, tracking dues, profile management) and an online dues payment portal. The union also administers comprehensive benefits including health insurance, pension plans, and retirement savings programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Apprenticeship Training Program
• ISAQR Mobile App
• Online Dues Payment System
• Member Benefits Administration
• Member Assistance Program (Ulliance)
• Skilled Labor Dispatcher Service

Quantifiable outcome

• No student loan debt upon completion of 5-year apprenticeship program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• American Income LifeminorOthersLocal 441 partners with American Income Life to provide all current members and retirees with a $3,000 Accidental Death and Dismemberment benefit at no cost. Members are also eligible for a health services discount program providing up to 60% discounts on prescriptions, vision care, hearing care, and chiropractic care. Additional supplemental insurance coverage is available for purchase.
• Ulliance Member Assistance ProgramminorOthersThe Ulliance Member Assistance Program provides confidential mental health counseling, coaching, and 24/7 crisis support to all members, retirees, spouses/live-in partners, and dependents through age 26 at no out-of-pocket cost. Includes free 30-minute consultations for legal and financial matters, a discount program for goods and services, and free identity theft protection.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineminorOthersThe 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network providing 24/7 free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or mental health distress. Local 441 promotes this resource to members.
• VitalCog Peer SupportminorOthersVitalCog Peer Support provides trained peer support persons available to members who need someone to talk to. This service is password-protected for member access.
• Plumbers & Pipefitters Kansas Apprenticeship Training of Kansas (PPAK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPPAK is the training organization providing apprenticeship education for Local 441 members. The program combines classroom instruction with on-the-job training, offering a 5-year affordable apprenticeship with competitive wages available to everyone.
• Helmet to HardhatsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational nonprofit program that connects military veterans with careers in the construction trades. Local 441 participates to recruit veterans into the plumbing and pipefitting apprenticeship programs.
• United Association of Journeymen and ApprenticescoreOthersParent organization representing approximately 355,000 Plumbers, Pipefitters, Sprinkler Fitters, HVACR Service Technicians, Welders and Pipeliners throughout North America. Local 441 is affiliated with this organization which sets standards and provides support.
• Plumbers and Pipefitters of Southeast KansascoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContractor association representing mechanical contractors in southeast Kansas (Frontenac UA Zone 1B). Located at PO Box 725, Coffeyville, KS 67337-0725, contact: Shelby McDonald, President.
• Mechanical Contractors Association of Kansas (MCAK)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTopeka-Lawrence Contractors Association representing mechanical contractors in northeast Kansas. Tax ID#48-6159777, PO Box 3857, Topeka, KS 66604-6857.
• Mechanical and Sheet Metal Contractors (MSM)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWichita Contractors Association representing mechanical and sheet metal contractors. Located at 424 NW 150th Ct., Edmond, OK 73013-2462. Contact: David Finley, Chapter Manager.
• UA National Pension FundcoreOthersNational pension office for UA members. Members with pensions through the United Association can contact this office for pension-related questions, retirement applications, and contribution history reports.
• Local 441 Retirement Pension PlancoreOthersLocal union pension plan specifically for Local 441 members, separate from the national pension fund. Provides retirement benefits to eligible members.
• KSR (401k) Kansas AnnuityminorOthersMember self-contribution retirement plan (401k) managed through Empower. Members can make changes twice yearly during designated enrollment periods.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA): National association representing union-signatory mechanical contractors — the employer counterpart to Local 441's membership. Comparable as a peer institution in the same UA signatory ecosystem, coordinating labor-management relations, training funding, and collective bargaining on the contractor side.
• International Association of Plumbers and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO): International code and standards organization for plumbing and mechanical systems. Adjacent to Local 441's trade scope — its uniform plumbing/mechanical codes shape the licensing, inspection, and code-compliance requirements that Local 441 members must satisfy to practice in Kansas.
• Helmet to Hardhats: National nonprofit recruiting military veterans into unionized building-trade apprenticeships. Listed as an active recruitment partner of Local 441 and a relevant peer organization driving skilled-trades pipeline development across all UA, IBEW, and similar construction unions.

Direct peers

• International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE): Building trades union representing heavy equipment operators, mechanics, and stationary engineers. Comparable to Local 441 as a construction-trade union with apprenticeship training, multi-state work portability through locals, and contractor signatory structure.
• SMART (Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, Transportation) Union: Multi-discipline union representing sheet metal workers, HVAC technicians, and transportation workers. Comparable to Local 441 through its overlapping HVAC trade, apprenticeship training structure, and signatory contractor dispatch system.
• Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union 178: Neighboring UA local covering the Kansas City metropolitan area. Most directly comparable peer — same UA parent, same trades (plumbing, pipefitting, welding, HVAC), same apprenticeship/JATC training model, same signatory-contractor dispatch model, but serving an adjacent Kansas/Missouri geography.
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW): Building trades union representing electrical workers across the U.S. and Canada. Directly comparable to Local 441 as a skilled-trades union that runs apprenticeship programs, collective bargains with contractors, and deploys members to commercial/industrial/institutional construction projects.
• Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC): National trade association representing merit-shop (non-union) contractors. Functions as the principal open-shop counterpart to unionized construction locals including UA Local 441, competing for apprenticeship graduates and contractor signatory relationships in the same Kansas market.

Emerging players

• National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER): Non-profit training and credentialing organization that sets standardized curricula for construction craft professionals. Comparable to Local 441's apprenticeship program as a competing/overlapping credentialing pathway for plumbers, pipefitters, and welders, particularly through community colleges and non-union contractors.

Broad incumbents

• United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry (UA): National/international parent union of Local 441, representing approximately 355,000 plumbers, pipefitters, sprinkler fitters, HVACR technicians, welders, and pipeliners across North America. Provides training standards, pension/benefit infrastructure, and the broader jurisdictional framework within which Local 441 operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plumbers-&-pipefitters-local-union-no.-441

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 & PIPEFITTERS LOCAL UNION NO. 441