UA Local 38 Plumbers & Pipefitters

What UA Local 38 Plumbers & Pipefitters does

UA Local 38 Plumbers & Pipefitters is a local chapter of the United Association (UA) labor union, operating as a private membership organization under cooperative/mutual governance. Founded in 1889 at the parent level and chartered to serve San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake Counties in California, it represents plumbers, steamfitters, and HVAC/R technicians and provides collective bargaining representation on their behalf with signatory contractors. The organization runs a Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committee (JATC) that delivers classroom and job-site training on a multi-year cycle, with the next apprenticeship application intake scheduled for June 2027.

The union operates a digital member services platform built on the UnionActive content management system, with a secure member portal (login, registration, 2FA), online dues payment processing via Authorize.Net (supporting Mastercard, Visa, Discover, and American Express), and hosted resource pages for forms, documents, news, and events. Beyond the portal, it administers joint Labor-Management trust funds covering Health & Welfare, Pension, Vacation & Holiday, Supplemental Unemployment Benefits (SUB), and Scholarships; runs Camp Konocti, a recreation facility for members and families; publishes an Events Calendar, Photo Gallery, and Video Gallery; and maintains the Local Business Enterprises (LBE) directory of signatory contractors (13 listed). Physical footprint comprises a San Francisco headquarters at 1621 Market Street, a Training Department at 2660 Newhall Street, and a Santa Rosa regional office at 3473 Santa Rosa Avenue.

Revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed; the union funds operations through member dues on a recurring subscription basis and trust fund administration. Customer/member segmentation is vertical: primary members are journey-level workers and apprentices in the plumbing, steamfitting, and HVAC/R trades; a secondary segment consists of signatory contractors who rely on the union hiring hall for workforce access. The organization is governed by elected officers and a Board of Trustees for trust fund administration, with no external private equity or venture capital ownership.

Name

UA Local 38 Plumbers & Pipefitters

Legal name

UA Local 38 Plumbers, Steamfitters & HVAC/R

Website

https://ualocal38.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1889

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

UA Local 38 is a chartered labor union local representing plumbers, steamfitters, and HVAC/R technicians across San Francisco and four North Bay counties, delivering collective bargaining, JATC apprenticeship training, trust fund administration, and member benefits through a UnionActive member portal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labor Union Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Plumbing (Residential & Commercial) (EDAOACAA)

Keywords

• Labor union representation
• Plumbing pipefitting trades
• Apprenticeship training
• Collective bargaining
• Union benefits administration

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Member Dues: Union collects periodic dues from members for labor representation, training, benefits administration, and member services.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

UA Local 38 is a labor union local that collectively bargains wages and working conditions for plumbers, steamfitters, and HVAC/R technicians in five Northern California counties. It administers joint Labor-Management trust funds (Health & Welfare, Pension, Vacation/Holiday, Scholarship), runs a JATC-governed apprenticeship training program, and operates member services including an online portal, dues payment, the Camp Konocti recreation facility, and the LBE contractor directory.

Product overview

UA Local 38 Plumbers & Pipefitters operates as a labor union local providing a comprehensive member services platform. The core offering is the UnionActive-powered member portal enabling online dues payment, trust fund administration, and access to member benefits. Key products include the Apprenticeship Training Program (JATC-governed), Trust Fund Administration for health/welfare/pension, Camp Konocti family recreation facility, Local Business Enterprises contractor directory, Video Gallery, Events Calendar, Joseph P. Mazzola Scholarship program, and Vacation/Holiday and Supplemental Unemployment Benefit financial accounts. The portfolio functions as an integrated member services ecosystem unified through the online portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Collective Bargaining & Labor Representation Collective bargaining representation for wages, benefits, and working conditions on behalf of plumbers, steamfitters, and HVAC/R technicians in San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake Counties. Available to union members and signatory contractors.
• Trust Fund Administration Administers joint Labor-Management trust funds including Health and Welfare, Pensions, Vacation and Holiday, and Scholarships for members and their families. Overseen by Trust Fund Administrator Maria C. Rivera.
• Apprenticeship Training Program (JATC) Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committee (JATC) governed program providing written examinations, classroom training, and job-site training for aspiring plumbers and pipefitters. Applications are accepted every two years; the next application window opens in June 2027.
• Member Portal & Online Services UnionActive-powered online portal enabling member login, registration, dues payment, access to benefits information, and member-only content. Includes 2FA authentication for member access.
• Online Dues Payment Secure online payment system for members to pay union dues using credit cards (MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express) through the Authorize.Net payment gateway. Credit card numbers are not visible to Local 38.
• Camp Konocti Union-owned family recreational camp facility offering seasonal summer sessions for UA Local 38 members and their families, with registration available through the union website.
• Local Business Enterprises (LBE) Directory Contractor lookup directory featuring 13 signatory contractors categorized as Contractor, Affiliate, Supplier, or Other, with contact information. Connects members and customers with Local 38 signatory contractors.
• Joseph P. Mazzola Scholarship Annual scholarship program for dependents of UA Local 38 members, administered through the Trust Fund Office. Application deadline is August 28 for the 2025/2026 academic year.
• Vacation/Holiday & Supplemental Unemployment Benefit (SUB) Accounts Financial benefit programs including Vacation and Holiday accounts with advance request forms, plus Supplemental Unemployment Benefit (SUB) for members receiving EDD payments.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and regional.

• United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational union affiliation providing overarching labor representation, training standards, and collective bargaining support for plumbers and pipefitters across the United States and Canada.
• California State Pipe Trades CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level coordination of pipe trades unions in California for legislative advocacy and collective bargaining alignment.
• California Labor FederationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide AFL-CIO labor federation representing California workers in legislative and political advocacy.
• State Building and Construction Trades Council of CaliforniamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide building trades council coordinating labor efforts in California's construction industry.
• North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational building trades union association for North American labor coordination.
• San Francisco Labor CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentral labor council for San Francisco area unions providing local advocacy and coordination.
• San Francisco Building and Construction Trades CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal building trades council coordinating San Francisco construction industry labor efforts.
• North Bay Labor CouncilregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentral labor council representing North Bay area (Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake counties) unions.
• North Bay Building and Construction Trades CouncilregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal building trades council for North Bay region coordinating construction industry labor.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• United Association International (UA): The international parent union of UA Local 38, representing over 350,000 plumbers, pipefitters, HVAC/R service technicians, sprinkler fitters, and welders across the US and Canada. While technically the parent organization rather than a peer, the UA is the closest ecosystem-level entity for benchmarking Local 38's training, benefit, and collective bargaining standards.
• Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC): National trade association representing plumbing and HVAC/R contractors, including signatory contractors that work with Local 38. Represents the contractor/management counterparty in collective bargaining, making it an ecosystem peer rather than a direct labor-side competitor.

Direct peers

• UA Local 342: Another United Association local representing plumbers and pipefitters in California. UA Local 342 covers the Long Beach and greater Los Angeles area and shares the same international UA charter, apprenticeship structure, and benefit fund model as Local 38, making it a directly comparable peer within the same union system.
• UA Local 467: United Association local covering the San Mateo and Peninsula region of Northern California for plumbers, pipefitters, and HVAC/R service technicians. Operates an overlapping Bay Area footprint with Local 38 and offers a closely parallel member services and apprenticeship model.

Broad incumbents

• Operating Engineers Local 3: Operating Engineers union local covering Northern California, including the Bay Area and North Bay counties that overlap Local 38's jurisdiction. Operates a parallel training center, apprenticeship pipeline, and trust fund structure, making it a structurally comparable peer for member services and labor representation.
• Sheet Metal Workers Local 104: Sheet Metal Workers union local covering the San Francisco Bay Area with comparable apprenticeship, collective bargaining, and benefit fund functions. A sister building trades union whose members often work alongside Local 38 plumbers and HVAC/R technicians on the same mechanical construction projects.
• Carpenters Union Local 22: Northern California carpenters union local covering the Bay Area with a comparable apprenticeship training program, hiring hall, and benefit trust fund model. A peer building trades union that competes and collaborates with Local 38 on commercial construction projects.
• IBEW Local 6: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers local serving San Francisco and surrounding counties. While representing electricians rather than plumbers, Local 6 is a sister building trades local with similar collective bargaining, apprenticeship training, and benefit fund administration functions in the same Bay Area geography.
• Laborers Union Local 261: Laborers International Union local serving San Francisco and adjacent counties. Runs a comparable apprenticeship training program, hiring hall, and trust fund benefit structure, and is a peer building trades local frequently working alongside Local 38 members on construction job sites.

Regional players

• Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 525 (Las Vegas): United Association local serving the Las Vegas, Nevada region with a comparable plumbing, pipefitting, and HVAC service technician membership base. While geographically distinct from Local 38, it operates the same UA international apprenticeship and benefit fund model, making it a structurally comparable peer within the broader UA system.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UA_Local38
• Facebookfacebook.com/UALocal38
• Instagraminstagram.com/ua_local38
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ua-local-38-plumbers-&-pipefitters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 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 UA Local 38 Plumbers & Pipefitters