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Union questions — dues, benefits and contract terms

Every union works to the same basic mechanics and settles the details differently in every local. These pages explain how dues are charged, how the benefit funds are paid for, what the collective bargaining agreement covers, how dispatch and travelling work, and how to get in — then point you to your own local for the current figures.

Gulfstream is a recruiting firm working alongside the trades. We do not dispatch, set rates or speak for any union, and we never publish a dues or wage figure we cannot date.

Answers by union

UA dues, benefits and contract questions

Plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters, HVAC service and welders — 242 locals.

  • How much are UA union dues?
  • What benefits do UA members get?
  • What is in a UA local's contract?
  • How does UA dispatch work?

IBEW dues, benefits and contract questions

Electricians, low-voltage and inside wiremen — 253 locals.

  • How much are IBEW dues?
  • What benefits do IBEW members get?
  • What does an IBEW inside agreement cover?
  • How does the IBEW referral book work?

SMART dues, benefits and contract questions

Sheet metal workers, HVAC installers, testing and balancing — 92 locals.

  • How much are SMART sheet metal dues?
  • What benefits do SMART members get?
  • What is in a SMART local's agreement?
  • How does SMART dispatch work?

What each page covers

  • Dues — What members pay, how it is collected and who sets the amount: UA · IBEW · SMART
  • Benefits and funds — Health and welfare, pension, annuity and how hours earn them: UA · IBEW · SMART
  • Contract terms — What the collective bargaining agreement covers and how often it changes: UA · IBEW · SMART
  • Dispatch and the book — How work is referred out of the hall: UA · IBEW · SMART
  • Travelling and reciprocity — Working outside your home local and where your fringes go: UA · IBEW · SMART
  • Apprenticeship — Getting in, how long it takes and what it costs: UA · IBEW · SMART
  • Retirement — Pension credit, vesting and drawing a pension: UA · IBEW · SMART
  • Joining or organising in — Routes in for experienced hands already in the trade: UA · IBEW · SMART

Questions that apply to every union

Do I have to be a union member to apply for jobs on Gulfstream?

No. Gulfstream recruits for both union-signatory and open-shop mechanical, electrical and sheet metal contractors. The roles listed here are direct-hire positions where your experience decides the outcome. We are not a hiring hall and we do not dispatch.

Are union dues tax deductible?

That depends on where you live and how you file, and the rules have changed in recent years for federal filing in the United States while some states still allow a deduction. Ask a tax professional about your own return — we are recruiters, not tax advisers.

Where can I read my local's actual wage sheet?

The local issues it. Where we hold a dated published sheet for a local we show it on that local's page and say when it was issued; where we do not, we say so rather than guessing. The hall's office always has the current one.

Union FAQ — dues, benefits, contracts and union vs open shop · All trade unions · Search locals by number · Published union pay scales · Browse open trade jobs

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