What UA Local 248 does

UA Local 248 (legal name: Plumbers and Steamfitters Local Union 248) is a non-profit labor union local headquartered at 924 Greenup Ave, Ashland, Kentucky, representing journeymen, apprentices, and helpers in the plumbing, pipefitting, welding, and HVAC/R service trades across Eastern Kentucky. The organization is affiliated with the United Association (UA), founded October 11, 1889, which has grown to more than 360,000 members throughout the United States and Canada; UA Local 248 is further nested within the Building & Construction Trades Unions (3 million members) and the AFL-CIO (12.5 million members). Its core offering is union membership bundled with collective bargaining representation, job placement through a hiring hall and signatory contractor network (e.g., Turner Industries, Enerfab, Alpha Energy Solutions, H&R Mechanical, W B Fosson & Sons), and a registered apprenticeship program operating under Title 29 CFR Part 30 with non-discrimination affirmative action compliance. Journeyman upgrade training is delivered through the UA's network of more than 300 state-of-the-art training centers. The business model is subscription/recurring revenue from member dues, which fund union operations, training, and the Political Action Committee. The product surface is extended by a member benefits stack: healthcare and Health & Welfare Fund administered by UMR with Anthem (Sydney Health app), vision coverage through VSP, Local Pension Fund and Local Annuity Fund (John Hancock) administered by UMR, and the Plumbers & Pipefitters National Pension Fund (PPNPF) based in Alexandria, VA. Members access services via a dedicated web portal (mtp.local248.com). Technology is operational rather than proprietary: there is no native mobile app, no public API, and no AI/ML capabilities.

Name

UA Local 248

Legal name

Plumbers and Steamfitters Local Union 248

Website

https://local248.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1889

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

UA Local 248 (Plumbers and Steamfitters Local Union 248) is a non-profit labor union in Ashland, Kentucky, representing plumbers, pipefitters, HVAC/R technicians, and welders across Eastern Kentucky. It provides collective bargaining, registered apprenticeship training, and member benefits (healthcare, pension, annuity) under the United Association.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Union Services

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (23822)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Plumbing & Pipefitting Contracting (IMAFALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Plumbing (Residential & Commercial) (EDAOACAA), Construction & Trades Licensure (Contractor, Electrician, Plumber, HVAC CE) (EDAAALAH), Welding Codes, Safety & Compliance Training (AWS/ASME/OSHA) (EDAOADAG)

Keywords

• Trade union services
• Registered apprenticeship training
• Plumbing pipefitting union
• HVACR workforce development
• Union member benefits

Headquarters

HQ city

Ashland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Union Dues: Members pay dues to fund union operations, training programs, political action committee, and member benefits including healthcare, pension, and annuity funds.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

UA Local 248 represents union members in plumbing, pipefitting, welding, and HVACR service trades across Eastern Kentucky. It delivers job placement through a signatory contractor network, registered apprenticeship and journeyman upgrade training, collective bargaining, and member benefits including healthcare, local and national pension, and local annuity funds.

Product overview

UA Local 248 (Plumbers and Steamfitters Local Union 248) is a labor union offering a single unified membership product that encompasses trade representation, job placement through a network of signatory contractors, and access to multiple benefits programs. The core membership is supplemented by Registered Apprenticeship Programs, Journey Worker Upgrade Training, Healthcare Benefits (Health & Welfare Fund), Vision Insurance, Local Pension Fund, Local Annuity Fund, and the National Pension Fund. These benefits are administered through third-party administrators including UMR, Anthem, VSP, and John Hancock Retirement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UA Local 248 Membership Union membership providing trade representation, job placement through signatory contractors across North America, collective bargaining, and access to member benefits for plumbers, pipefitters, welders, and HVAC/R service professionals.
• Registered Apprenticeship Programs Structured apprenticeship training in plumbing, pipefitting, and HVAC/R trades operated under Title 29 CFR Part 30, providing entry pathway for helper/pre-apprentice and apprentice applicants to become journeymen.
• Journey Worker Upgrade Training Continuing education and certification courses for journeymen to obtain specialized certifications and skills, delivered through the UA's 300+ state-of-the-art training centers.
• Healthcare Benefits (Health & Welfare Fund) Health insurance coverage for union members administered through UMR with Anthem, including medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance, with Sydney Health mobile app access.
• Local Pension Fund Local retirement pension fund administered through UMR for eligible Local Union 248 members.
• Local Annuity Fund Defined contribution annuity savings plan for union members administered through UMR and John Hancock Retirement, accessible via mobile app.
• National Pension Fund Plumbers & Pipefitters National Pension Fund (PPNPF) based in Alexandria, VA, providing retirement benefits to eligible union members.
• Signatory Contractor Network Directory of signatory contractors categorized by specialty (Commercial, HVAC, Industrial, Metal Fabrication, Residential) through which Local 248 members access employment opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Access to 300+ state-of-the-art training centers

Named customers11 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

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, regional and standard.

• United Association (UA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization founded October 11th, 1889. UA Local 248 is an affiliated local union providing training, job security, and member services. The United Association has grown to 360,000+ members throughout the United States and Canada.
• Building & Construction Trades UnionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUA is an affiliate of the Building & Construction Trades Unions, which comprises fourteen craft affiliations and over 3 million members.
• AFL-CIOmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilding Trades is an affiliate of AFL-CIO, a voluntary federation of 58 national and international labor unions representing 12.5 million working people.
• Kentucky Building & Construction Trades CouncilregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level building trades council supporting union operations in Kentucky.
• Tri-State Building & Construction Trades CouncilregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional building trades council covering Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia tri-state area.
• Anthem (Healthcare Insurance)majorTechnology or IntegrationPrimary healthcare insurance provider for union members. Members access coverage through Sydney Health mobile app and online account management at anthem.com.
• UMR (Healthcare Administrators)majorTechnology or IntegrationThird-party administrator for Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 248 Health & Welfare Fund and Local Pension Fund.
• VSP (Vision Insurance)standardTechnology or IntegrationVision insurance provider offering eye care benefits through VSP Vision Care On the Go mobile app.
• John Hancock RetirementmajorTechnology or IntegrationProvider of Local Annuity Fund services for union members, accessible via mobile app.
• Plumbers & Pipefitters National Pension FundmajorTechnology or IntegrationNational pension fund based in Alexandria, VA, providing retirement benefits to eligible members.
• Big Sandy Area Development DistrictregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional development district in Eastern Kentucky supporting workforce development initiatives.
• FIVCO Area Development DistrictregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIVCO covers Boyd, Carter, Elliott, Greenup, and Lawrence counties in Kentucky, supporting regional development and workforce initiatives.
• Buffalo Trace Area Development DistrictregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional development district supporting workforce development in the Buffalo Trace area of Kentucky.
• Gateway Area Development DistrictregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional development district covering Rowan, Morgan, and Menifee counties in Kentucky.
• Kentucky River Area Development DistrictregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional development district covering Knott, Perry, and other counties in the Kentucky River region.
• Cumberland Valley Area Development DistrictregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional development district covering Clay, Harlan, and surrounding counties in Kentucky.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC): National open-shop trade association representing non-union construction contractors. Not a direct competitor to UA Local 248's membership function, but the primary counterparty in the union-vs-open-shop competitive dynamic that affects Local 248's market position.

Emerging players

• Helmets to Hardhats: Nonprofit workforce-development organization that places transitioning military members into registered building-trades apprenticeships. Operates as a feeder into the same apprenticeship pipelines that UA Local 248's program depends on.
• NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research): National standardized craft training and credentialing body whose curricula underpin many open-shop and union apprenticeship programs. Comparable to UA Local 248's apprenticeship function as a credentialing and curriculum provider, though it serves the open-shop market as well.

Broad incumbents

• IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers): National building-trades union for electricians with parallel registered apprenticeship, multiemployer pension, and signatory contractor model. Sister building-trades union under the same AFL-CIO/Building Trades umbrella, addressing an adjacent (not overlapping) trade.
• Sheet Metal Workers International Association (SMART): National union representing sheet metal workers, including HVAC fabrication and installation, with the same apprenticeship + multiemployer benefits model. A building-trades peer in the same mechanical contractor ecosystem.
• Iron Workers International: National building-trades union with registered apprenticeship programs and signatory contractor dispatch. Comparable structurally to UA Local 248 as a craft-specific union local under the Building Trades umbrella.

Direct peers

• Kentucky Building & Construction Trades Council: State-level council of which UA Local 248 is an affiliate member, coordinating legislative advocacy, project labor agreements, and jurisdictional issues across Kentucky building-trades locals. Operates one organizational layer above UA Local 248 but shares its mission and constituency.
• United Association Local 690: Philadelphia-area UA plumbing/pipefitting/HVAC local with registered apprenticeship programs and the same union benefits stack. Directly comparable as an affiliated UA local with a similar training-plus-representation charter.
• United Association Local 1: Another large Plumbers and Steamfitters local under the same UA umbrella, providing apprenticeship, journeyman training, and signatory contractor placement. Directly comparable in business model, benefits administration, and training infrastructure.
• United Association Local 562: St. Louis-area UA plumbing/pipefitting local offering the same package of apprenticeship training, multiemployer health/pension benefits, and signatory contractor dispatch as UA Local 248. Functionally identical operating model with regional scale differences.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plumbers-steamfitters-hvacr-lu-248-eastern-kentucky

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 248