UA Local 85

What UA Local 85 does

UA Local 85 is a chartered local labor union of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry, representing plumbers, steamfitters, and HVACR service technicians across the northern 30 counties of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Founded in 1892 and headquartered at 3535 Bay Road in Saginaw, MI, the local is the oldest chartered Michigan local of the United Association and serves nearly 1,300 members. Its core economic function is operating a registered apprenticeship and journeyman training pipeline that places certified tradespeople with signatory contractors under collective bargaining agreements; training is delivered in Saginaw and Traverse City and covers pipefitting, plumbing, welding, and HVACR service with welding certification included in the curriculum.

The local's service offering is organized around three trade practices (plumbing, steamfitting, HVACR) plus training, with members deployed across heavy industrial, commercial, and residential construction sectors through approximately 50 signatory contractor locations statewide. Named contractor partners include A&B Plumbing, Danboise Mechanical, Goyette Mechanical, Hayes Mechanical, Henkels & McCoy, Honeywell, MAP Mechanical, AC Klopf, Conti, W. Soule & Co., Hurst Mechanical, Remer Plumbing & Heating, Smillie Plumbing & Heating, Johnson & Wood, and Doug's Plumbing & Heating. Members are placed via a job referral system tied to master labor agreements rather than through direct employment by the local.

UA Local 85 is structured as a non-profit labor organization and does not publish financial statements. Revenue is generated primarily through recurring member dues, supplemented by apprenticeship program funding administered jointly with the J.A.T.C. The local has no proprietary technology product, no commercial software offering, and no digital platform beyond an apprenticeship application portal and a Facebook page. There is no equity, no fundraising activity, and no M&A history; the local operates as a jurisdictionally-bounded branch of a national union federation.

Name

UA Local 85

Legal name

U.A. Local 85 of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry

Website

https://ualocal85.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1892

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labor Union / Trade Apprenticeship Services

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (238220)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Incumbent Worker Training & Upskilling (EDAAAOAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Plumbing (Residential & Commercial) (EDAOACAA), HVAC Installation & Service (Residential & Commercial) (EDAOACAC), Structural Steel Welding & Erection-Focused Training (EDAOADAC)

Keywords

• Labor union representation
• Trade apprenticeship training
• Pipefitter journeyman programs
• HVACR service training
• Collective bargaining services

Headquarters

HQ city

Saginaw

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Member Dues: Labor union funded by member dues from nearly 1300 members. Revenue supports apprenticeship training, journeyman training, member services, and union operations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

UA Local 85 is a labor union local that recruits, trains, and represents plumbers, steamfitters, and HVACR service technicians in Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula. Its primary deliverables are registered apprenticeship training programs (pipefitting, plumbing, welding, and HVACR service with 5-year terms combining on-the-job and classroom instruction), journeyman continuing education, collective bargaining with signatory contractors, and a job referral system that dispatches members to more than 50 contractor locations across 30 counties.

Product overview

UA Local 85 is a labor union representing plumbers, steamfitters, and HVACR service technicians in Michigan's Northern Lower Peninsula. The organization operates as a single unified offering focused on trade union representation and workforce development, with its primary products being apprenticeship training programs (Pipefitting & Plumbing and HVACR Service Tech) that combine on-the-job training with classroom instruction. These training programs lead to journeyman status and enable members to work across heavy industrial, commercial, and residential construction sectors through signatory contractor employment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pipefitting & Plumbing Apprenticeship Program Formal 5-year registered apprenticeship for prospective plumbers and pipefitters, combining on-the-job training under journeyman supervision with bi-weekly classroom instruction at Saginaw or Traverse City, MI, covering installation of commercial and industrial piping systems and welding certification.
• HVACR Service Technician Training Training program for installation, maintenance, and repair of heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems in residential, commercial, and industrial sectors.
• Pipe Trades Apprenticeship Application Online application portal for entry into the pipefitting, plumbing, and welding apprenticeship program; requires ACT WorkKeys scores, high school diploma/GED, and a valid Michigan driver's license.
• HVACR & Plumbing Service Tech Application Online application for HVACR and plumbing service technician apprenticeship; requires ACT WorkKeys scores (minimum 4), 1.5 years experience or trade school/associate's degree, and a valid driver's license.
• Union Job Referral & Collective Bargaining Representation Job referral and collective bargaining representation placing trained apprentices and journeymen with 50+ signatory contractors under collective bargaining agreements across the northern 30 counties of Michigan's Lower Peninsula.

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• A&B PlumbingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSignatory contractor employing Local 85 members for residential, commercial, industrial plumbing, service & remodel, boilers, heating & air conditioning work.
• Danboise MechanicalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSignatory contractor providing commercial, government, industrial, institutional, service, refrigeration, heating, air, controls, process piping, boilers work for Local 85 members.
• Goyette Mechanical Co.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSignatory contractor for commercial, government, industrial, institutional, residential, remodeling, service repair employing union pipefitters and plumbers.
• Henkels & McCoy, Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational signatory contractor for industrial process piping and natural gas pipeline pipefitters.
• Honeywell Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSignatory contractor for commercial, government, industrial, institutional, refrigeration, heating, air, controls.
• MAP Mechanical ContractorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSignatory contractor for commercial, government, industrial, institutional, plumbing, pipefitters process piping, boilers.
• AC Klopf Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSignatory contractor for commercial, residential, industrial, designing/engineering, heating & air conditioning.
• ContiminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSignatory contractor for commercial, government, industrial, institutional, service, refrigeration, heating, air, controls, process piping, boilers.
• W. Soule & Co.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSignatory contractor serving commercial, government, industrial, institutional sectors.
• Hayes MechanicalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSignatory contractor for process pipe, institutional, industrial, HVAC service & steamfitting, boilers.
• Hurst MechanicalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSignatory contractor for commercial, government, industrial, institutional, service, refrigeration, heating, air, controls.
• Remer Plumbing & Heating Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSignatory contractor for commercial, government, industrial, institutional, plumbing, boilers, residential plumbing service & remodel.
• Smillie Plumbing & Heating Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSignatory contractor employing Local 85 members for plumbing and heating work.
• Johnson & Wood LLCminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSignatory contractor for commercial, government, industrial, institutional, service plumbing.
• Doug's Plumbing & HeatingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSignatory contractor for residential, commercial & industrial plumbing, plumbing service & remodel.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• UA Local 671 (Plumbers, Pipefitters & HVACR): UA Local 671 represents plumbers, pipefitters, welders, and HVACR technicians in western Michigan. Directly comparable to UA Local 85 due to the same UA affiliation, overlapping trade mix, and same-state operating geography with parallel signatory contractor structure.
• Plumbers Local 130 (United Association): Plumbers Local 130 is a Chicago-area UA local representing plumbers and pipefitters. Comparable to UA Local 85 as a UA-affiliated trade local with similar apprenticeship training model and CBA-based job referral placements to signatory contractors.
• UA Local 189 (Plumbers & Pipefitters): UA Local 189 is a United Association local representing plumbers, pipefitters, and HVACR technicians in central Ohio. Directly comparable to UA Local 85 due to the same UA affiliation, similar trade representation mix, and parallel apprenticeship training and job referral programs.

Broad incumbents

• United Association International (UA): The United Association is the international parent union for all UA locals including Local 85, setting training standards and coordinating collective bargaining. Comparable to UA Local 85 as the umbrella organization that defines curriculum, journeyman certification, and CBA frameworks for affiliated locals.
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW): IBEW is one of the largest building trades unions in North America, representing electrical workers via local chapters with apprenticeship training and CBAs. Comparable to UA Local 85 as a parallel building trades union operating apprenticeship and job referral infrastructure across overlapping geographies.
• International Association of Iron Workers: The Iron Workers represent bridge, structural, ornamental, and reinforcing ironworkers across construction and manufacturing, with local apprenticeship programs. Comparable to UA Local 85 as a parallel building trades union providing apprenticeship training, journeyman certification, and CBA-driven job placement to signatory contractors.
• SMART (Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation): SMART represents sheet metal workers in HVAC, architectural, industrial, and transportation sectors with local apprenticeship programs. Comparable to UA Local 85 as a parallel building trades union with overlapping HVAC scope and similar apprenticeship plus CBA-driven job placement model.

Emerging players

• Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC): ABC is the largest US construction trade association representing open-shop (non-union) contractors, with its own apprenticeship and training infrastructure. Comparable to UA Local 85 as a competing model for construction-industry workforce development and training, representing the structural non-union alternative.
• National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER): NCCER provides standardized craft training, credentialing, and curriculum adopted by open-shop contractors and trade schools. Comparable to UA Local 85 as an alternative apprenticeship-style training provider in the same trades, though typically serving the non-union segment of the market.

Others

• AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department: The AFL-CIO Building Trades Department is the federation coordinating most US building trades unions including the UA. Comparable to UA Local 85 as the broader labor umbrella providing political advocacy, organizing support, and apprenticeship policy coordination across affiliated locals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UALocal85

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 85