Our Trades

The piping trades give a great opportunity for lifelong career. When mega projects gear up across Canada, talented skilled workers are a commodity.

If you are a qualified journeyperson working to build Canada in any of these piping trades, then you deserve the best. UA will help you get it, with our superior training and Standard of Excellence.

STEAMFITTER- PIPEFITTERS

Steamfitter-Pipefitters are the people who plan, layout, assemble, and install piping systems. They work all over the place: in oil, refineries, pulp and paper mills, food and beverage manufacturing, offshore platforms, and nuclear power plants. Steamfitters-Pipefitters are the only trade that specializes in planning, design, and installation of low- and high-pressure steam systems and installation methods for the steam.

WELDERS

Welders work in every area of the construction industry where metals and alloys are joined. Working on plants, tanks, buildings, and vessels of all shapes and sizes, welders play an important role in keeping what is in the pipe safely where it should be.

INSTRUMENTATION TECHNICIANS AND MECHANICS

Working in fields like pulp and paper, nuclear and hydropower, mining, petrochemical and natural gas, instrumentation technicians and mechanics service most of all the equipment.

PLUMBERS

Plumbers are responsible for the assembly, installation, and maintenance of piping and plumbing systems. Including equipment used for drinking water distribution, sanitary storm water systems and waste disposal for the health and safety of the general public. Plumbers work in high rises, apartment complexes, new home builds, industrial, institutional, commercial construction sectors such as hospitals, schools, and other institutional buildings.

SPRINKLER FITTER

Sprinkler Fitters installs, maintains, tests, and repairs fire protection systems, such as wet, dry, and foam systems, in various buildings. Key duties include interpreting blueprints and fire codes, cutting, threading, and joining pipe, installing supports, valves, and alarms, and performing leak testing.

REFRIGERATION TECHNICIAN

Refrigeration Mechanics install, maintains, and repairs refrigeration and air conditioning systems in various environments, including residential, commercial, and industrial settings. Responsibilities include assembling and installing components, testing and calibrating controls, troubleshooting malfunctions, replacing parts, performing maintenance, and ensuring compliance with regulations for refrigerants.

HVAC TECHNICIAN

HVAC Technicians focus on performing installation, maintenance, and repair of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, but it is distinguished by the adherence to a collective bargaining agreement, which dictates specific wage scales, benefits, and potentially work rules for union members. Key responsibilities include inspecting, troubleshooting, and repairing various components like air handlers, chillers, boilers, and controls, while ensuring adherence to safety protocols and potentially managing maintenance schedules and records.

The Metal Trades division consists of employees who perform maintenance and production work.  UA Metal Trades workers are found a wide variety of jobsites across North America.  They work in fabrication shops, energy facilities, petrochemical plants, nuclear power facilities, processing plants, shipyards as well as the service sector.

FIBERGLASS

A Fiberglass Metal Trade position involves fabricating, modifying, and installing fiberglass and metal products, often requiring specialized training in sheet metal work or pipefitting.