What UA Local 81 does

UA Local 81 is a local chapter of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry, operating as a non-profit labor union headquartered at 107 Twin Oaks Drive in Syracuse, New York. The organization represents plumbers, pipefitters, welders, and HVAC/refrigeration service technicians across a 13-county territory in Upstate New York (Onondaga, Madison, Cayuga, Chemung, Cortland, Schuyler, Tompkins, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Oswego, Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Lewis, and Franklin counties). Its core function is twofold: (1) organizing and supplying trained labor to signatory contractors and institutional employers such as Cornell University, and (2) operating a NY State Department of Labor registered apprenticeship and continuing education system that produces and upkeeps the skilled workforce.

The union's product surface centers on membership, training, and workforce dispatch. The flagship is a 5-year registered apprenticeship in Plumber/Steamfitter/Pipefitter and HVAC Mechanic categories, requiring two nights of weekly schooling plus a 40-hour on-the-job week, with annual application intake closing March 31 and a June class start. Adjacent offerings include a 3-day Skills Bootcamp for prospective apprentices, journeyman upgrade classes (welding, medical gas, HVAC service, safety), and NYSERDA-sponsored heat pump installer/technician training aligned with state building decarbonization mandates. Three training campuses (Syracuse, Ithaca, Gouverneur) deliver the curriculum. Member services include a Members Only portal for online dues payment, training class registration, wage rate access, and a public contractor directory for workforce dispatch.

The business model is funded by member dues, which are recurring and tied to representation, collective bargaining, training access, and health/welfare/retirement/annuity benefits. Workforce is referred to more than 50 signatory contractors (including Air Temp Heating & A/C, Burns Bros Contractors, CNY Trane, Carrier Building Services, and Siemens Building Technologies) through a union hall referral system. Wage rates and benefits are governed by collective bargaining agreements rather than market pricing, and financial information is not publicly disclosed. The local is governed by an elected body led by Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer Marcus Williamee, with operational training leadership under Director of Training and Education Thomas Hayward III and Director of Certifications Chas Porter, supported by 17 staff.

Name

UA Local 81

Legal name

United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry Local 81

Website

https://ualocal81.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1889

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UA Local 81 is a Syracuse-based non-profit labor union representing plumbers, pipefitters, welders, and HVAC technicians across 13 Upstate New York counties. It runs a 5-year registered apprenticeship, journeyman upgrade training, and NYSERDA heat pump programs, dispatching members to 50+ signatory contractors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Syracuse

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Member Dues: UA Local 81 operates as a labor union funded by member dues. Union members pay dues in exchange for representation, collective bargaining, training access, health/welfare benefits, and retirement plans. The union maintains health and welfare, retirement, and annuity benefits for members.
2. Apprentice Recruitment and Referral: The JATC and Local 81 act as a referral local union hall that places apprentices with signatory contractors. The union processes apprentice applications and refers workers to contractors, functioning as an employment pipeline for the piping industry.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

UA Local 81 is a labor union local representing plumbers, pipefitters, welders, HVAC service technicians, and refrigeration workers in a 13-county region of Upstate New York. It delivers a 5-year NY State Department of Labor registered apprenticeship program, journeyman upgrade training (including welding, medical gas, and heat pump certifications), collective bargaining representation, and signatory contractor workforce referrals. The organization also administers member health/welfare, retirement, and annuity benefits.

Product overview

UA Local 81 is a trade union offering union membership, apprenticeship training, and continuing education services for plumbers, pipefitters, and HVAC technicians. The organization's core offering is union membership providing access to contractor employment, collective bargaining, and benefits. Training programs include a 5-year registered apprenticeship and journeyman upgrading courses. The organization operates three training centers in Syracuse, Ithaca, and Gouverneur, NY, and offers a Skills Bootcamp for apprenticeship applicants. Member services include a benefits management portal, contractor directory, and Members Only section for training sign-ups and wage rate access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Union Membership Services
• Apprenticeship Program
• Journeyman Training and Upgrading
• Skills Bootcamp
• Heat Pump Installer Training (NYSERDA)

Quantifiable outcome

• Union construction workers earn on average 41% more than non-union counterparts
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cornell UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornell University is a major employer of UA Local 81 members, maintaining an on-site control shop staffed by union journeypersons. The university has consistently advertised open positions for union plumbers, pipefitters, control technicians, and apprentices. This is a significant relationship as Cornell represents one of the largest institutional employers of union members in the region.
• United Association (UA) InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUA Local 81 is a local chapter of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry. The International provides political and legislative affairs support, training curriculum standards, and organizing resources. The local operates under UA's constitution and participates in UA Get Involved political action programs.
• NYSERDAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUA Local 81 has partnered with NYSERDA to offer heat pump installer and technician training to support state decarbonization efforts. NYSERDA-sponsored training is offered at Local 81's Gouverneur, Ithaca, and Syracuse training centers, helping members gain heat pump skills for the growing clean energy market.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• United Association International (UA): The international parent union of UA Local 81. Comparable as the umbrella organization that sets curriculum standards, political strategy, and benefit-fund structure for all UA locals — relevant context but not a direct competitor.
• NCCER (National Center for Construction Education & Research): A national non-profit that provides standardized craft training curricula and credentialing for the construction industry. Comparable as an adjacent training/certification ecosystem participant that competes for apprentice curriculum and contractor recognition.

Emerging players

• Tradesmen International: A large non-union construction labor staffing provider that places skilled tradespeople with contractors nationwide. Comparable in the labor-referral and placement function that UA Local 81 performs for signatory contractors, but operating on a non-union open-shop basis.

Regional players

• IBEW Local 1249 (Syracuse area): International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers local serving the Syracuse/Central New York region. Comparable in geographic footprint and union model (registered apprenticeship, journeyman training, signatory contractors) but operating in a different skilled trade.
• Heat & Frost Insulators Local 26 (Syracuse area): A regional mechanical-insulation trade union local serving Upstate New York including Syracuse. Comparable in union structure, geographic territory, and apprenticeship-based training, though focused on a narrower specialty trade.
• Sheet Metal Workers Local 58 (Syracuse): Sheet Metal Workers International Association local serving Central and Northern New York including Syracuse. Comparable in geographic coverage and union apprenticeship/training model, but representing a different but adjacent mechanical construction trade.

Direct peers

• Plumbers Local 130 UA (Chicago): One of the largest UA plumbing and pipefitting locals in the U.S., serving the Chicago metro area. Comparable to UA Local 81 in operating model (5-year apprenticeship, journeyman training, contractor referral) but at materially larger scale.
• UA Local 638 (New York City Steamfitters): A New York City UA local representing steamfitters, pipefitters, and HVAC service technicians. Highly comparable to UA Local 81 in trade scope and UA affiliation, though operating in a much larger metro market with a denser contractor base.
• UA Local 1 (New York City): A New York City chapter of the United Association representing plumbers, steamfitters, and HVAC service technicians. Operates the same UA apprenticeship and journeyman upgrade model as UA Local 81, making it the most directly comparable peer in the same trade and parent union.
• UA Local 22 (Buffalo, NY): A Western New York UA local serving plumbers, pipefitters, and HVAC workers in the Buffalo area. Operates an identical UA apprenticeship structure and represents the same trades as UA Local 81, making it the closest geographic and trade peer in New York State.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/live/U5hVasxESqQ?feature=share
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ua-local-81

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UA Local 81