News and Information
The Minnesota Pipe Trades Association is active in the everyday decisions made at the state Capitol in Saint Paul, which could affect the lives of our members and their families. We also work to elect local and national leaders who will take positions we can support and make conditions better for our members.
We will add content continuously on this page and provide information regarding legislation, political campaigns and special issues.
From the President:
Join Us for the 2008 "Blow Out Your Pipes" Run
Posted on: May 11, 2008
Join us for the "Blow Out Your Pipes Run " on Saturday May 31st 2008Click the link above or for more info contact:
Local 539 Business Agent Ben Dye:
612-379-4711
Waters Off 2008
Posted on: May 11, 2008
In East St. Paul the father and son team of Kim and Andrew Lyall from St. Paul Plumbers Local 34 replaced the plumbing to a washtub. On the other side of the river in Plymouth, another father and son team of Roger and Johann Peterson from Minneapolis Plumbers Local 15 replaced a worn-out garbage disposal for an elderly homeowner.This is what Water's Off, a program started in 1994 by union volunteers to repair plumbing for low-income, disabled, and elderly homeowners, does to help the community.
On March 29th 2008, 179 apprentice, journeymen, and retired plumbers from around the state performed plumbing repairs on 182 homes of the needy. That number is up from last year's 172 homes and will continue to grow due to the need for this help.
The two metro plumber locals, along with the Rochester Plumbers Local 6, supply the volunteers. And members of the Minnesota Mechanical Contractors Association supply the vehicles and tools with all parties sharing any costs for parts.
Stan Theis, Business Manager for St. Paul Plumbers Local 34, had this to say about Water's Off: "Our people fixed a lot of plumbing problems and walked away feeling great about what they did. The Water's Off program has been around for years and the community knows that the St. Paul Plumbers are good neighbors to have."
Steve Pettersen, Executive Vice President of the Minnesota Mechanical Contractors added, "We enjoy being involved in this because it's another positive event that labor and management can do together to improve our relationship and also build strong ties to the neighbors we're serving."
Heat's On Offers CO Detectors
Posted on: May 06, 2008
St. Paul Pipefitters Local #455 and the Minneapolis Pipefitters Local #539 along with the Minnesota Mechanical Contractors Association (MMCA) held the 22nd Annual Heat's On event in the Minneapolis, St. Paul, Mankato, and St. Cloud areas on Saturday, September 22, 2007.This year 300 pipefitter volunteers cleaned, inspected, and serviced 261 low-income elderly and disabled homeowners and serviced 6,211 homes, donated 24,893 hours of service, at an estimated value of over $2,744,700 since 1986. One change to the longest running Heat's On in the nation was to provide the needy with Carbon Monoxide/smoke detectors. Heat's On had installed smoke detectors in previous years but this year installed the combination detectors to draw attention to one of Minnesota's new laws requiring Carbon Monoxide/smoke detectors which will go into effect in 2008.
Last year MMCA and the pipefitter unions started up, with the help of the community action programs, a Heat's On Furnace Fund. This fund was set up so that community members who wanted to donate money for furnace replacement but also wanted to keep the money in their community could do so. Last year Locals #455 and #539, and MMCA donated $20,000 to start up the furnace fund which helped replace 14 furnaces around the state.
