local 190

What local 190 does

UA Local 290 is a multi-craft labor union headquartered in Tualatin, Oregon, representing more than 5,000 active and retired members across the pipe trades — plumbers, steamfitters, HVAC/R technicians, marine fitters, welders, and pipeline/gas distribution workers. Founded in 1985 and operating as a chartered local under the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry (UA), the organization serves the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington) with extension into Northern California via a dedicated Eureka Business Agent.

The union's core services include job dispatch (connecting qualified members with signatory contractors through a book-number-based priority system), apprenticeship and journeyman training at its own 290tech.edu training center, collective bargaining on behalf of members, and administration of health, welfare, pension, and ancillary benefits through the Zenith Trust and partners such as Trust & Will. Notable project credentials span healthcare (Kaiser, Providence, OHSU, Salmon Creek Hospital, VA Hospital), technology (Facebook Data Center, HP, SolarWorld), education (University of Oregon, Oregon Institute of Technology, PCC), manufacturing (Wauna Paper Mill, Great Western Malting), energy (Humboldt Power Plant, Foster Dam), defense/marine (Portland Shipyards), and municipal infrastructure (Medford Waste Water Reclamation Plant).

UA Local 290 generates revenue primarily through recurring member dues, deducted from member paychecks based on negotiated rates in collective bargaining agreements. The local operates as a 501(c)-style nonprofit with no publicly disclosed financials. Its go-to-market is community-led: it acquires members via apprenticeship pipelines, organizing campaigns, and member referrals, while serving signatory contractors through the Portland Metro Construction Association (PMCA Oregon) channel. The organization is governed by elected officers, currently led by Business Manager W. Paul Elder and Assistant Business Manager James King, with a geographically distributed team of organizers/agents covering the regional territory.

Name

local 190

Legal name

UA Local 290

Website

https://ua290.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Short description

UA Local 290 is a multi-craft union of 5,000+ active and retired members representing plumbers, steamfitters, HVAC/R technicians, marine fitters, and related pipe trades across Oregon, Washington, and Northern California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labor Union Services

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Oil and Gas Pipeline and Related Structures Construction (237120)

SIC

Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction & Trades Licensure (Contractor, Electrician, Plumber, HVAC CE) (EDAAALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Welding Codes, Safety & Compliance Training (AWS/ASME/OSHA) (EDAOADAG), Employer/Occupational Credit Unions (FSABAEAB)

Keywords

• Labor union services
• Pipe trades training
• Apprenticeship programs
• Job dispatch services
• Collective bargaining

Headquarters

HQ city

Tualatin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Member Dues: UA Local 290 generates revenue through member dues payments. Members pay dues to maintain their union membership, which provides access to job dispatch services, training programs, health and welfare benefits, pension contributions, and representation services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UA Local 290 is a multi-craft labor union representing more than 5,000 active and retired pipe trades workers (plumbers, steamfitters, HVAC/R technicians, marine fitters, welders, and pipeline/gas distribution workers) in Oregon, Washington, and Northern California. It provides job dispatch, apprenticeship and journeyman training through its Training Center (290tech.edu), collective bargaining representation, and member benefits including health/welfare (Zenith Trust), pension, wellness, and scholarships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Union Membership Services Multi-craft union membership for plumbers, steamfitters, HVAC/R technicians, and marine fitters, providing job dispatch, training access, collective bargaining representation, and member benefits (health/welfare, pension, wellness, scholarships).
• Apprenticeship and Training Programs Apprenticeship and journeyman continuing education programs for pipe trades, with training center facilities and Building Trades exam preparation, delivered through the UA Local 290 Training Center.
• Job Dispatch Services Job dispatch services connecting qualified union members with employment opportunities across plumbing, steamfitting, HVAC, pipeline/gas distribution, welding, and metal trades/shipyard sectors.
• Member Benefits Administration Administration of health/welfare benefits through Zenith Trust, pension contributions, wellness program, member scholarships, and access to partners such as the UA Federal Credit Union and Trust & Will estate planning.

Named customers19 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry (UA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUA Local 290 is affiliated with the United Association, a national labor union representing plumbers, gas fitters, steamfitters, and sprinkler fitters. The United Association has been training qualified pipe tradesmen longer than anyone else in the industry. Local 290 operates as a chartered local union under the UA umbrella.
• Portland Metro Construction Association (PMCA Oregon)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPMCA Oregon is the trade association for union contractors in the Portland metro area. UA Local 290 directs members to this association's contractor directory, enabling members to find union contractors for employment.
• Milwaukee ToolsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMilwaukee Tools is the title sponsor for the Local 290 2026 Summer Golf Scramble event, demonstrating a vendor partnership for member events.
• 290tech.edu (UA Local 290 Training Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe union operates its own training center at 290tech.edu, providing apprenticeship programs and continuing education for members in plumbing, steamfitting, HVAC/R, and welding trades.
• Zenith (Trust)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnion health and welfare benefits are administered through the Zenith (Trust) program, providing medical, dental, vision, and other benefits to members.
• Trust & WillminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTrust & Will provides estate planning services to Local 290 members as an offered member benefit.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC): National open-shop contractor trade association that represents non-union contractors competing with UA-signatory contractors for the same construction work. Not a labor union, but the primary competitive counter-ecosystem for Local 290's members and dispatch opportunities.
• National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER): Industry-driven craft training and credentialing organization that competes with UA-sponsored apprenticeship programs for trainees and contractor adoption. Relevant comparable for the training-services arm of Local 290's 290tech.edu operation.

Direct peers

• UA Local 1 (St. Louis): Large UA local serving the St. Louis metropolitan area across the same pipe trades (plumbing, steamfitting, HVAC, welding). Same charter model, training center structure, and dispatch workflow, serving as a benchmark for membership scale and revenue density.
• Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 178 (Nashville): UA local representing plumbers, pipefitters, HVAC service techs, and welders in Tennessee. Comparable multi-craft structure, training center operations, and dispatch-based job placement, serving as a like-for-like operating benchmark outside the PNW.
• Steamfitters Local 602 (Washington, DC area): Multi-craft UA local focused on steamfitting, HVAC/R, plumbing, and welding. Same international union affiliation, same trades covered, and same dispatch-plus-apprenticeship operating model as Local 290, though serving a Mid-Atlantic rather than Pacific Northwest geography.
• UA Local 38 (San Francisco): Sister UA local covering plumbers and pipefitters in the San Francisco Bay Area. Same United Association charter model, same multi-craft pipe trades focus, and overlapping Northern California service territory with Local 290's Eureka operations.

Regional players

• Operating Engineers Local 701 (Oregon/Washington): Sister Pacific Northwest building trades union covering heavy equipment operators. Same geographic territory as Local 290 and works alongside pipe trades on the same construction sites; useful comparable for regional union operating economics and construction-cycle exposure.
• Ironworkers Local 29 (Portland): Pacific Northwest structural ironworkers union that partners with pipe trades locals on industrial and shipyard projects. Same regional building trades ecosystem and dispatch model, providing a peer benchmark for member scale and PNW construction-cycle exposure.
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 48: Pacific Northwest building trades union covering electricians. Comparable labor-union model, apprenticeship pipeline, and dispatch system, with a closely related but distinct construction trade that frequently works alongside Local 290's pipe trades on integrated projects.

Broad incumbents

• United Association of Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Service Techs: National umbrella union of which UA Local 290 is a chartered local. Directly comparable governance, training, and collective bargaining model, but operates as the broad parent organization across the U.S. and Canada rather than a single regional local.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/local-290

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about local 190