Workers are stronger together: That reasoning inspired five Local Unions to merge in 1975 and form Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 344, a collection of pipefitters, welders, plumbers and HVAC-R service technicians in Oklahoma.
Local 344 includes the mergers of Oklahoma City Local 291 (established in 1901), Lawton Local 362 (established in 1918), Enid Local 739 (established in 1918), Oklahoma City Plumbers Local 369 (established in 1926) and Oklahoma City Pipefitters Local 344 (established in 1938).
Now one cohesive entity, Local 344 can accomplish amazing things for its members: Good paying wages, full family health care, quality retirement and the right to a safe work environment.
Advocating for the rights, benefits and happiness of Oklahoma plumbers and pipefitters
With a membership exceeding 1,200 skilled workers, Local 344 works with over 70 contractors in 57 counties throughout Oklahoma. Its contractors gain a wide network of talent and the knowledge each job will be done to a high standard, on time and at or below budget.
The Union is committed to a standard of quality, both in the work its members perform and the rights and benefits it delivers to those members.
Local 344’s Union Hall and training center are both located in Oklahoma City.
Local 344 prides itself on a number of core values that guide its training programs and helps us advocate for the health, safety and rights of its members. It assists members in acquiring the training, skills and knowledge necessary to do the job and maintain beneficial employment.
The Local nurtures relationships with signatory contractors to maintain a steady stream of work for its members. It utilizes the benefits of collective bargaining to ensure its members work under a fair contract.
Educating excellence: recruiting Oklahoma’s future plumbers and pipefitters
The motto of Local 344 is “excellence through education.” The Local continually nurtures the talent needed to provide the skill to do the job.
Education and training have been a priority of the Union since it first formed the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 344 apprenticeship and training program together with the Contractors Association in 1953. Through a five-year program, apprentices start earning qualified pay and benefits on day one: full family health coverage, retirement benefits and high pay that gradually increases as they progress through the program.
