The Plumber Protects the Health of the Nation – a strong statement, coined on a 1926 poster created by the Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Company (who later became the American Standard Company), which depicts the plumber as a respected professional and highlights the important role the plumber plays in maintaining public health and safety. Some may think that’s a stretch, but take a moment to consider the devastating waterborne diseases that could be carried and contracted through improperly installed water or sanitation systems. In Wisconsin, plumbing codes and standards – written and maintained by plumbers and other professionals – help to hold our sanitation to High Standards. Plumbers help to prevent the spread of diseases by maintaining these codes and implementing them through meticulous installation and repair of water distribution and sanitary waste systems in our communities.

Plumbers Local 75 promotes this message to our Apprentices, Journeymen and Master Plumbers by not only offering education and certification courses that bolster this High Standard, but by following the UA’s Built on Excellence platform: A collection of pledges guiding our commitment to successful labor-management relations, high productivity and safe working practices.

The Standard for Excellence outlines the obligations of our members on the job as well as the obligations of our signatory contractors to ensure safety, quality, and productivity. The Union Education Committee has directed all apprentices to take a 6-hour course that includes labor history, labor-management relations, the structure and functions of the Union and obligations outlined in the UA Standard for Excellence program, including the Cost of a Labor Hour.

An essential priority of the initiative, the Standard for Productivity represents the joint commitment of our members and our contractors to pursue high productivity on every job, every day, without sacrificing safety or quality.

The safety of our members is at the forefront of our priorities, and the Standard for Safety defines this core value: Every member has the right to return home from work safely and securely. To help our members achieve this, Plumbers Local 75 offers a variety of safety-related courses and requires our members to participate in the MCAW-WPTA Substance Abuse Testing and Assistance Program.