▁members ▁of ▁rival ▁Un ions ▁joined ▁the ▁United ▁Association . ▁The ▁de pression ▁of ▁ 1 8 9 3 - 1 8 9 7 ▁slow ed ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁a ▁stronger ▁organization . ▁M emb ership ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Association ▁grew ▁to ▁ 6 , 7 0 0 ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 3 , ▁but ▁fell ▁to ▁ 4 , 4 0 0 ▁by ▁ 1 8 9 7 . ▁Yet , ▁by ▁that ▁year ▁ 1 5 1 ▁local ▁Un ions ▁were ▁listed ▁on ▁its ▁roll s . ▁ ▁Starting ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁the ▁construction ▁industry ▁entered ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁expansion ▁and ▁prosper ity ▁that ▁last ed ▁until ▁ 1 9 1 4 . ▁From ▁ 1 8 9 8 ▁to ▁ 1 9 0 6 ▁the ▁United ▁Association ▁quad ru ple d ▁its ▁membership . ▁ ▁During ▁its ▁first ▁years , ▁the ▁United ▁Association ▁was ▁essentially ▁a ▁feder ation ▁of ▁local ▁Un ions , ▁rather ▁than ▁a ▁truly ▁national ▁Union ▁of ▁the ▁pipe ▁tr ades . ▁The ▁major ▁break through ▁toward ▁a ▁un ified ▁national ▁organization ▁came ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 0 2 ▁national ▁convention ▁in ▁O ma ha , ▁when ▁deleg ates ▁approved ▁a ▁National ization ▁Committee ▁proposal ▁establish ing ▁a ▁compreh ensive ▁system ▁of ▁sick , ▁death ▁and ▁strike ▁benefits . ▁ ▁As ▁such ▁re forms ▁to ▁strength en ▁the ▁national ▁organization ▁were ▁being ▁made ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁century , ▁however , ▁some ▁loc als ▁broke ▁ranks ▁to ▁form ▁a