Short answer: Not under the 2021 text. UA local elections are by secret ballot at polling places the local sets, and mail ballots need the General President's permission (Secs. 122(b) and 123). Electronic voting is not mentioned. Source: the UA Constitution as filed with the Department of Labor; changes from the August 2026 convention were not yet on file.
| Verdict | Lists methods that don't include electronic voting |
| Ratification / strike votes | Strike votes on applications for strike/lockout benefits: secret ballot, with the application read at a regular or special meeting (Sec. 176(d)); no contract-ratification method is specified in the text. |
| Confidence | Medium |
| Last verified | 21 October 2026 |
What the text says
How local officer elections are run
"At least ten (10) days prior to the nomination meeting, notice shall be mailed to the last known address of all members in good standing, setting forth (1) the date and place of the nomination meeting and the offices to be filled; (2) the date, time and place of the election meeting;"
"The election shall be by secret ballot at such place or places as shall be established by the Local Union. It shall be the duty of the Local Union to provide safeguards for the honest and fair conduct of such election, including the granting of the right of each nominee in such election of at least one (1) observer at the candidate’s own expense at each polling place who must be a member of the Local Union in good standing."
"Mail balloting may be authorized in elections of Local Union officers under the following conditions: The Local Union membership shall, at either a special or regular meeting, by appropriate motion, file a request with the General President for permission to use the mail ballot. [...] The General President may, in his discretion, for the best interest of the Local Union and the United Association, grant or deny such request."
International approval of local bylaws or election rules
"The General President may, in his discretion, for the best interest of the Local Union and the United Association, order that an election of Local Union officers be held by mail ballot in the absence of a request from the Local Union membership. (b) The General President shall prescribe guidelines concerning the use of the mail ballots so that the integrity and secrecy of the ballot box may be safeguarded."
"to Local Unions is conceded the right to make necessary by-laws and agreements for Local Union government which do not conflict with the laws of the United Association."
"The preceding subsection shall not apply to a By-Law change that the General President or his designee determines to be necessary to comply with this Constitution. Any such By-Law change shall be made by the Local Union as soon as practicable."
Contract ratification and strike votes
"All applications for strike or lockout shall be read at a regular or special meeting of the Local Union making application, and the Local Union shall report the number of members voting in the affirmative and negative on all questions of strike, which vote must be taken by secret ballot."
Open questions
The 2021 text provides for a secret ballot at polling place(s) established by the Local and for mail balloting only with General President authorization, and does not mention electronic voting - the list may be read as exclusive (counsel to confirm); the source is now the official OLMS-filed copy, but the 41st General Convention (August 2026) may have amended it and no amended text is yet on file.
Context
- Pending/recent convention amendment: the UA 41st General Convention was held in August 2026; the UA's latest LM-2 on OLMS (fiscal year ended 2026-06-30, received 2026-09-25) predates it, and no post-2021 constitution is on file with OLMS, so the 2021 edition may be superseded.
The federal rules still apply
Federal law sits on top of every constitution. For unions covered by the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA), officer elections must meet Title IV's secret-ballot, notice and observer requirements however members vote. The Department of Labor's Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) addresses remote electronic voting in its Compliance Tip Electing Union Officers Using Remote Electronic Voting Systems (updated December 10, 2024). The Tip describes safeguards for secrecy, observation and records, says it "does not offer unions safe harbor," and says each system is evaluated case by case. Federal-sector unions follow 29 CFR Part 458, which applies the same standards; postal unions are covered by the LMRDA. Locals made up entirely of state or local government employees are generally outside Title IV and follow state law and their own rules. OLMS Compliance Tip
Sources
- Constitution of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada (OLMS attachment 'UA Constitution - Revised and Amended August 23-27 2021.pdf', 'Constitution, Bylaws and Other Attachments', filed by PLUMBERS AFL-CIO National Headquarters, OLMS file no. 000-111, received 2022-09-28) — Revised and Amended at San Diego, California and Calgary, Alberta, August 23-27, 2021 (most recent constitution on file with OLMS as of 2026-10-21). https://olmsapps.dol.gov/query/orgReport.do?rptId=61617&rptForm=attachment (accessed 2026-10-21)
- Constitution of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada (local-hosted copy; byte-identical to the OLMS filing, same MD5) — Revised and Amended at San Diego, California and Calgary, Alberta, August 23-27, 2021 (copy hosted by UA-affiliated Pipeliners Local 798; not available publicly on ua.org). https://local798.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/ua-constitution-revised-and-amended-august-23-27-2021.pdf (accessed 2026-10-21)
Not verified: ua.org returned 403 to curl; via headless Chromium the public site showed no constitution (site search for 'constitution' returned nothing; /constitution is 404; member content is behind login). Update 2026-10-21: OLMS OLPDR reached (curl with the Entrust OV TLS Issuing RSA CA 2 intermediate appended to the CA bundle; verification on). UA national HQ = file no. 000-111. Its constitution attachments are the 2021 edition (attachment 61617, received 2022-09-28) and the 2016 edition (attachments 12293/20775); no later constitution is filed. The OLMS 2021 PDF is byte-identical (MD5 1b6177c5547818485eee3e8117016d43) to the Local 798 copy, so all quotes now rest on the official filing. ua.org re-tried by curl: 403/502; no public copy. An edition amended at the August 2026 41st General Convention was not found anywhere. No General President mail-ballot or electronic-voting guidelines (Sec. 123(b)) were found publicly. Page numbers are printed page numbers.
This page summarizes the published text of a union's governing documents. It is not legal advice and not an official interpretation by the union. Constitutions change at conventions, and locals' own bylaws matter. Confirm with your International and your counsel before changing how members vote. Spotted an error or a newer edition? Tell us at info@votem.com and we'll correct it.
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