United Association of Plumbers Local 290 is gearing up to expand its footprint in Southwest Washington. In July, the union’s affiliated joint apprenticeship training center took ownership of a 3-acre property in Vancouver for a sale price of just over $4 million. A former auto dealership, it’s located at 1015 NE 78th Street. Plans are to put approximately $4.6 million into an extensive remodel of the facility, starting with a brand-new roof and security system. Only union contractors will be employed on the remodel. Once it’s complete, about a year from now, the building will be used for specialized trainings for journeyman members to get continuing education. Several outbuildings will be set up specifically for training on rigging and pipeline work.
The facility will also be used for union meetings. Nearly 1,000 of Local 290’s 5,100 members live in Washington, but for years, the local has been using the Laborers/Teamsters hall on Northeast Andresen Road so that members in Southwest Washington can participate remotely in monthly membership meetings.
Local 290 has been saving for years to be able to expand, thanks to a 30 cent per hour building fund contribution approved by members. A committee of members participated in planning and acquisition of the property.
The location is a block and a half from an I-5 exit, with ample space for parking, and the building is mostly large open spaces that can be converted to meeting and training uses.
“It’s just the right spot,” said Local 290 business manager Paul Elder. “It was perfect for what we wanted to do.”
