In August 2021, at the UA’s 40th General Convention, Mark McManus was unanimously re-elected to a second term as General President of the United Association (UA), where he will continue to lead the nation’s most progressive and influential trade union, representing more than 363,000 highly skilled mechanics in the plumbing and pipefitting industry.
Mark began his career with the UA in 1983 when he was initiated into Plumbers Local 24 in Newark, New Jersey. He was elected Business Agent in 1994 and Business Manager in 1997. His talents and leadership brought him to the United Association General Office in 2007, where he has served as International Representative and Administrative Assistant to the General President. He served five-year terms as General Secretary-Treasurer and as General President prior to being re-elected to a second five-year term as General President.
General President Mark McManus is responsible for supervising the day-to-day affairs of the United Association and for decisions concerning internal union governance, as well as rendering decisions and adjusting disputes and other matters affecting the organization. He is the Chairman of the UA General Executive Board, UA Strategic Planning Committee, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees on multiple UA pension funds. Mark McManus supervises the development and implementation of all major policies and programs of the United Association, including the industry-leading UA Veterans in Piping®(VIP) Program.
In addition, he serves as Vice President of the Executive Council of the Metal Trades Department, is a member of the Building Trades’ Governing Board of Presidents, and serves on the Board of Directors of Helmets to Hardhats. In April 2020, General President McManus was appointed by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan to serve on his Coronavirus Recovery Team, where he worked in part to advise the Governor on the necessary steps for restarting Maryland’s economy and reopening businesses across the state. Mark and the UA are extremely active in all aspects of the political world—national, state, and local—in a bipartisan manner.
Mark McManus has had a distinguished career in support of our nation’s hardworking men and women and is unwavering in his commitment to a strong and mutually beneficial partnership between labor and management.