What united association refrigeration workers local union 787 does

United Association Local 787 is a chartered labor union local representing heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) workers, building operators, stationary engineers, and building maintenance professionals across the province of Ontario, Canada. The union was chartered on April 14, 1951 by the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada, and holds jurisdictional authority over all of Ontario. Its primary functions include negotiating Collective Bargaining Agreements on behalf of members, providing workplace representation through business agents, administering member benefits and pensions, and delivering apprenticeship and journeyperson training through its Joint Training and Apprenticeship Committee (JTAC) facility in Brampton.

UA Local 787 operates a member services and benefits platform that integrates multiple third-party technology providers. The core offering is membership itself, which includes access to the JTAC training school (one of only a few HVAC&R-specific training facilities in Canada), a defined-contribution pension plan established in 1983, health and welfare benefits administered by McAteer (EBPS) via the MemberXG portal and GreenShield+ card/app interface, group retirement savings and life insurance through Manulife, and wellness programming under the UA Canada National Wellness Program (MyMAP), which leverages Telus Health One and Togetherall. The Ontario Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (ORAC) jointly manages the first-year apprenticeship intake program and the ICI/non-ICI Collective Agreement, creating a structured pipeline from apprentice training to placement with unionized contractors.

The union is funded by member dues, which support training programs, group benefits, pension contributions, business representative salaries, and capital projects including a new training centre under construction in Mississauga (scheduled to open late 2025). UA Local 787 is led by Business Manager Andrew Tarr with a team of business representatives covering Eastern Ontario, South Western Ontario, and the Greater Toronto Area. The union reports over 300 signatory contractors under its Collective Bargaining Agreements and celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2026.

Name

united association refrigeration workers local union 787

Legal name

United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA) Local 787

Website

https://ualocal787.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Short description

United Association Local 787 is a chartered Ontario labor union representing HVAC&R workers, building operators, and stationary engineers, providing collective bargaining, apprenticeship training via JTAC, pension and benefits administration, and workplace representation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labor Union Services

NAICS

Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (238220), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

HVAC Installation & Service (Residential & Commercial) (EDAOACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Plumbing (Residential & Commercial) (EDAOACAA)

Keywords

• Labor union representation
• HVAC&R worker training
• Apprenticeship programs
• Collective bargaining services
• Trade certification training

Headquarters

HQ city

Brampton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Union Dues: UA Local 787 is funded through union dues collected from members. These dues support training and skills development programs, group benefits and pension plans, appointed business representatives, and ongoing initiatives such as facility construction.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

UA Local 787 is a labor union that represents Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC&R) workers, Building Operators, Stationary Engineers and Building Maintenance Professionals across Ontario. The union provides collective bargaining representation, journeyperson and apprenticeship training through its JTAC facility, member benefits administration (health, dental, pension), and workplace advocacy for over 300 signatory contractors' employees.

Product overview

UA Local 787 is a labor union representing HVAC&R workers in Ontario. The union's offerings consist of core membership services (collective bargaining, worker advocacy, wage negotiation) combined with member benefits programs. The service portfolio includes JTAC apprenticeship training, ORAC apprenticeship intake programs, wage rate sheets (ICI and Residential), pension plan administration, health benefits through GreenShield+, and wellness programs via Telus Health One (MyMAP). Members access services through the MemberXG portal, with benefits administered by McAteer and pension managed by a Board of Trustees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Union Membership (UA Local 787)
• JTAC Training Program
• ORAC Apprenticeship Intake Program
• UA Canada National Wellness Program (MyMAP)
• Member Benefits Administration
• UA Local 787 Pension Plan

Quantifiable outcome

• One of few HVAC&R-specific training facilities in Canada

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Enriched AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership provides members with financial education and support through a free online platform offering tools, resources, and one-on-one financial coaching. Members receive two free coaching sessions per year. Includes access to Canadian Legal Wills service for free Will Kits.
• Park'N FlyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Canada's leading airport parking service offering exclusive corporate discounts to UA Local 787 members. Operates in seven major Canadian cities: Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Halifax.
• Union SavingscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 1989Not-for-profit union-run benefits program providing discounts exclusively for union members and their families. Founded by Canadian labour unions to reduce cost of living. Partners with brands like Bell, Telus, Rogers, Samsung, Mr. Lube, and more.
• ORAC (Ontario Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Contractors Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerORAC represents Ontario's largest organized body of contractor practitioners in the industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential refrigeration and air conditioning trade. ORAC manages the First Year Apprenticeship Intake program to train the best apprentice candidates and provide pathways to be hired by unionized contractors. ORAC and UA Local 787 jointly manage the ICI Non-ICI Collective Agreement.
• JTAC (Joint Training Assessment Committee)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJTAC operates the journeyperson and apprenticeship training school at UA Local 787 facilities. One of the only HVAC&R-specific Training Facilities in Canada, setting the standard for Apprentice and Gas (TSSA) training.
• McAteer (EBPS)coreOthersThird-party company that manages administration of benefits and pensions for UA Local 787. Handles claims, eligibility, and operates the MemberXG portal.
• GreenShield+coreTechnology or IntegrationLeveraged as a technology platform for benefits. Members use the app or card like a debit card, but UA Local 787 funds and provides the coverage—claims do not go through GreenShield.
• ManulifecoreOthersProvides Life Insurance and the Group Retirement Savings Plan (RSP) for UA Local 787 members, managed by the UA Local 787 Board of Trustees.
• UA Canada National Wellness Program / Telus Health OnecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUA Canada National Wellness Program encompasses Telus Health One digital platform offering professional support for mental, physical, and financial wellness, plus Togetherall peer support platform. Free, confidential support available 24/7 to all UA members and their immediate families.
• Canadian Institute for Safety, Wellness, and Performance (CISWP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUA Local 787 and JTAC partnered with CISWP on the MOSAIC initiative to use real-world trades industry data to inform better PPE for Canadian workers. CISWP is creating a job-specific database of worker body measurements to help design better-fitting, more effective PPE.
• MOSAIC InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultivariate Occupation-Specific Anthropometric Database - WSIB-funded initiative led by CISWP to create job-specific database of real worker body measurements and strength data for better PPE design.
• Canadian Legal WillsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnline service helping Canadians create valid legal Wills. Through Enriched Academy partnership, members can access standard Will Kit for free (normally $49.99).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• United Association Local 71: UA Local 71 represents plumbers, steamfitters, and HVAC workers in the Hamilton, Niagara, and Halton regions of Ontario under the same United Association umbrella. It is a directly comparable HVAC&R trade union local serving an adjacent geographic territory within Ontario.
• United Association Local 562: UA Local 562 represents plumbers, pipefitters, and HVAC service technicians in Durham, Ontario under the same United Association umbrella. It is a peer union local covering overlapping trades in a different Ontario region.

Direct peers

• United Association Local 46: UA Local 46 represents plumbers, pipefitters, and HVAC&R service technicians across the Greater Toronto Area under the same United Association umbrella. It is a direct peer labor union covering overlapping HVAC&R trades and competing for the same Ontario contractor base.
• International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 128: Boilermakers Local 128 represents skilled trades workers in Ontario including those servicing industrial HVAC and stationary equipment. It is a comparable Canadian building-trades union representing overlapping skilled-trade workers in adjacent but related craft categories.
• International Union of Operating Engineers Local 793: IUOE Local 793 represents operating engineers, stationary engineers, and building maintenance professionals across Ontario — directly overlapping with two of UA Local 787's stated member segments. It is a peer union competing for the same Ontario skilled-trade workforce.
• Sheet Metal Workers International Association Local 285: Sheet Metal Workers Local 285 represents HVAC ductwork, architectural sheet metal, and related HVAC-trade workers in Ontario. It is a peer building-trades union representing workers in the same HVAC&R value chain under a separate international union.
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 353: IBEW Local 353 represents electricians across Ontario including those working on HVAC controls and building automation systems. It is a peer building-trades union representing workers in adjacent trades that are jointly deployed on HVAC&R projects.

Others

• Ontario Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (ORAC): ORAC is the Ontario industry association for HVAC&R contractors and operates the apprenticeship intake program jointly with UA Local 787. It is an ecosystem partner rather than a competitor, sitting on the contractor side of the same labor market.

Emerging players

• Humber College (HVAC&R Training Programs): Humber College runs HVAC&R technician and gas-fitter training programs in the Greater Toronto Area. It is an emerging alternative provider of HVAC&R trade education competing with JTAC for apprentice and continuing-education students in Ontario.
• George Brown College (Centre for Construction Trades): George Brown College offers HVAC and building systems technician programs in Toronto. It is an emerging post-secondary alternative to JTAC training, providing another pathway into Ontario's HVAC&R workforce outside the unionized system.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/local-787

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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