▁Pi pe ▁F itting ▁Indust ry ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Canada . ▁ ▁Through out ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁and ▁after , ▁the ▁United ▁Association ▁made ▁considerable ▁g ains ▁in ▁membership ▁and ▁prest ige . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁and ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁membership ▁sur ged ▁from ▁ 6 0 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 2 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁with ▁veter ans ▁entering ▁the ▁sk illed ▁craft s men ▁field . ▁ ▁United ▁Association ▁member ▁George ▁Me any ▁was ▁elected ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁to ▁be ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁newly ▁formed ▁A FL - C IO ▁and ▁was ▁to ▁provide ▁a ▁sh aping ▁force ▁in ▁the ▁American ▁labor ▁movement ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁New ▁Front ier ▁of ▁President ▁John ▁F . ▁Kennedy ▁and ▁Great ▁Society ▁of ▁President ▁Ly nd on ▁Johnson ▁were ▁movements ▁supported ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁Association . ▁With ▁expanded ▁training ▁programs ▁beginning ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁the ▁U A ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁meet ▁the ▁dem ands ▁of ▁acceler ated ▁construction ▁activity ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁With ▁the ▁increased ▁work ▁the ▁s log an , ▁" There ▁is ▁no ▁substitute ▁for ▁U A ▁sk illed ▁craft s men " ▁became ▁w ides p read ▁throughout ▁the ▁industry . ▁By ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁the ▁U A ▁was ▁ 3 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁strong . ▁ ▁Com position ▁According ▁to ▁U A '