Organizing connects working people with a stronger voice on the job. Discover what an organizer does, how representation can help, and how to start a conversation with UA Local 44.
An advocate for workers. A connection to your union.
An organizer listens, answers questions and helps workers act together for better conditions. The role connects people with union representation and support.[1]
Hear what workers want to change about pay, benefits, safety and day-to-day treatment.
02
Explain representation
Answer questions about membership, shared workplace concerns and collective bargaining.
03
Bring coworkers together
Help people identify common priorities and build support for representation.
04
Guide the process
Explain organizing steps, help plan conversations and connect workers with the right support.
05
Engage current members
Invite members to share accurate information and take part in local outreach.
06
Build relationships
Develop trust with workers, employers and community partners to strengthen the union.
Role overview adapted from the United Association's organizer information.[1] The focus here is worker support and representation.
02 / Why organize
A stronger voice. A shared standard.
Organizing brings people together around fair pay, respectful treatment and better working conditions. Those priorities guide the conversation about representation.[2]
A collective voice
Workers can pursue common priorities through collective bargaining, rather than relying only on separate individual conversations with an employer.
Pay and benefits that are defined
A negotiated agreement can establish wage provisions and employer contributions. Ask for the actual agreement and the terms of any health or retirement plans.
Safety, dignity and respect
Organizing brings attention to the conditions people face at work and helps workers speak together about how they should be treated.
Support when problems arise
Union representation can offer a way to raise concerns and address contract disputes. Ask which union representative handles your particular issue.
Specific wages, benefits, eligibility and work opportunities depend on the applicable agreement, benefit plans and available work. The goal is an informed decision, not a promise that every outcome is guaranteed.[2]
03 / Your next step
Start with questions. Decide with information.
You do not need to have every answer before contacting Local 44. Tell the organizer what you want to understand and ask which options fit your situation.
For an individual worker
I want to understand union membership.
Ask how your experience fits, what membership involves, which agreement may apply and what costs or requirements you should review.
Talk about shared concerns and ask how employees can seek representation. Workplace recognition is different from an individual membership application.[4]
Describe your work and the questions you have about pay, benefits, safety or fair treatment.
02Understand your options
Ask about representation, membership, costs, eligibility and the process that applies to your workplace.
03Choose the next step
That may be a follow-up conversation, a meeting with coworkers or time to review information before deciding.
Your communication preferences matter. Ask how your information will be handled and tell the organizer how you prefer to be contacted. Do not send Social Security numbers or other sensitive identifiers in an introductory email.
Know your rights
Information before your next move.
Employees covered by the National Labor Relations Act may act together about wages and working conditions, form or join a union, assist organizing efforts, or choose not to participate.[3]
Representation may be established through an election or voluntary recognition. Special rules apply in construction.[4]
Coverage is not universal. Public employees, independent contractors and most supervisors are among those excluded from the Act. Other laws may apply. This is general information, not legal advice; ask the NLRB or qualified labor counsel about your circumstances.[3]
Do I need to be a member to talk with an organizer?
No. Organizers speak with both nonunion workers and current members. You can start with questions about representation and your options.[1]
Is asking for information the same as joining?
An informational conversation is not a completed membership application or a signed authorization card. Ask what any document authorizes and what happens next before signing.
Can we organize at the company where we already work?
Workplace organizing is about employees seeking representation where they work, not just finding another job. Ask which recognition or election process applies to your workplace. Construction has special rules.[4]
How can current members help?
Ask the organizer about sharing accurate information, introducing interested coworkers and participating in local outreach. Coordinate with Local 44 before speaking on its behalf.[1]
Does organizing guarantee a job or a particular benefit?
No. Work availability, the applicable agreement, classification and benefit-plan eligibility all matter. Request the current terms and requirements rather than relying on a general promise.
04 / Your Local 44 connection
Let's talk about what comes next.
Have a question about organizing, representation or membership? Contact Local 44's organizer to discuss your workplace concerns and the options to explore.
Design and image: Spokane river photograph reused from Local 44's Our History page.
Information reviewed October 5, 2026. Confirm current contact information and applicable terms with Local 44. Video and thumbnail content are hosted by YouTube; privacy settings and network access may affect playback.
Why Consider Joining A Union?
A long time ago, mankind learned that by teaming up with others, they could tackle any task with greater success. Thus, villages and towns were formed – together, men could provide a safer and more stable life for themselves and their families.
The principle of trade unionism is much the same. A union, a group of dedicated men and women striving toward the same goals, provides security and dignity for all members.
The voices of many are louder than the voice of an individual. The United Association speaks for its members, working to achieve job security, health and welfare benefits, a living wage, a safe working environment, and a comfortable pension.
When you join a union, you are joining a democracy. Each member has the opportunity to voice his or her concerns and suggestions, working for a better life for all.
What Union Should You Join?
Naturally, when you decide to join a union, you will want one which best represents workers, who may be Building Trades Craftsman, journeymen or apprentices, tradesmen, helpers, trainees or any other work classification used in the plumbing and pipefitting industry.
They also represent utility and production workers, maintenance and/or service personnel, marine pipefitters, production workers, engineers, technicians and/or any other worker classification that fits into work that could fall under UA jurisdiction.
Because the United Association is composed of craft workers who share skills and experience, it is well-suited to help you achieve your goals. The local union officers, elected by local union members, have a working knowledge of the conditions and demands of the trade. They can speak with authority about the problems and challenges that workers face daily on the jobsite.
If you are employed in the plumbing and/or pipefitting trade or in any other type of work allied to or connected in any manner with the plumbing and pipefitting industry, then the United Association is the union for you.
What Is The United Association?
The United Association is an effective international union made up of the most skilled pipe tradesmen the construction industry has ever known. It is a union which protects its members and jurisdiction at every level.
The United Association is composed of journeymen and apprentices in every division of the plumbing and pipefitting industry.
A democratic organization, with officers elected by the membership, the United Association is affiliated with the various departments of the AFL-CIO and the Canadian Federation of Labour.
The United Association is international, having members in Canada as well as in the United States. It is an organization that you can be proud to be part of.
Why Does The United Association Exist?
All unions were born of necessity. During the Industrial Revolution, working men and women were treated very unfairly. There were no child labor laws, and thousands of children – some as young as five years old – worked ten-hour days under oppressive conditions.
It was standard practice for employers to demand that their employees work ten hours a day, seven days a week. There were no vacations, no sick leave, no workers’ compensation, no pensions, and no health and safety laws. Working men, women and children had nothing to look forward to – their lives were spent working, and they worked until they died.
In the mid-1800s, the trade union movement began in earnest. The United Association was officially born on October 11, 1889, when 40 delegates from 23 local unions traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the founding convention.
The convention was held to ensure that workers would no longer be taken advantage of. Almost all of the benefits and protections enjoyed by American workers today are a direct result of the trade union movement.
What Can The United Association Do For You?
The United Association and its local unions work to provide members a fair wage and safe working conditions, process grievances, and protect members from unjust and injurious competition.
All local unions have training facilities, health and welfare plans, and pension plans.
The United Association provides training for both apprentices and journey level workers, making UA trades people the very best. Journey workers may take advantage of training sessions which provide up-to-date technology necessary to United Association members so that they can be kept abreast of innovations and changes in the industry, thereby insuring that their skills are current and in demand.
If you are working in any industry allied to the plumbing and pipefitting trade, it is important to your future to become a member of the United Association. Join with the thousands of craft workers who have unitized to build a secure, prosperous future for themselves and their families.
What Type Of Work Is Performed By United Association Members?
United Association members work in a variety of settings, from housing to power stations, doing new construction and maintenance, air conditioning, heating, refrigeration and plumbing service work.
They install and service fire sprinkler systems, perform marine pipefitting, gas fitting, pipe fabrication and assembly, lead burning, manufacturing of mechanical parts and equipment, air and water balance, pneumatic and electric control work, startup of all mechanical equipment, quality control and non-destructive testing on all types of jobs or products, appliance service and repair, inplant operation of mechanical systems, servicing utility plants and systems.
As a United Association member, you may be working at your job on single family residence, apartments, commercial establishments, office buildings, hospitals, airports, shipyards, fabrication shops, shopping centers, offshore oil rigs, manufacturing plants, refineries, power houses, pipelines, utility plants and systems and/or other sites where work of the United Association is being performed.
Who Hires United Association Members To Do This Work?
United Association members are employed by plumbing and mechanical contractors, fire sprinkler contractors, plumbing, heating, refrigeration and air conditioning service companies, utility contractors, shipbuilders (private and federal sector) building and plant owners, utility companies, quality control contractors, control companies, instrumentation companies, air and water balance companies, chain stores, food processing companies, paper mills, power plants, hospitals, school systems, universities and colleges, federal, state and local governments, manufacturing companies, recreational centers (such as Disney World), fabricating shops, refineries, casinos, electric power companies.
In short, the United Association represented workers are a vital part of virtually every industry in the United States of America and Canada.
How Does The United Association Operate?
The United Association is led by a group of General Officers who are elected by the delegates at a convention held every five years. Members who attend these conventions as delegates are elected by their brother/sister members at the local union level.
The General Office has many departments and functions, including Jurisdiction, Organizing, Training, Legislative and Safety. Each General Officer pledges to uphold the United Association constitution and to protect the interest and welfare of all members.
How Many Locals And Members Are In The United Association?
Currently, there are over 275 local unions in the United Association, with well over 400,000 members.
The local unions are located in all 50 states of America and every Province of Canada. Members are free to travel from one local area to another to satisfy the needs of local work conditions.
Where Can You Learn More About The United Association?
