Last updated October 25, 2026
Everything you need to get into UA Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 589 (Virginia / Iron Range): whether apprenticeship applications are open right now, how the process works, and a free alert the moment the next window opens.
The next application window is January 1, 2027 to February 15, 2027.
Window opens: January 1, 2027 · Window closes: February 15, 2027
Official application page ↗Status last verified October 25, 2026. Source: official local/JATC site. Windows can change on short notice — always confirm details with the local before making plans.
Windows at competitive locals can cap out in days. We watch Virginia’s application status and email you the moment it opens — so you apply on day one, not day last.
We publish a journeyman rate only where the US Department of Labor has a union wage determination for the local — that figure is the local's own negotiated scale, because DOL adopts collective-bargaining rates wholesale. The counties covering Virginia, MN are on wage surveys instead, which are not union scale, so there is no rate here we can stand behind.
For reference, the median journeyman base across the 170 UA locals that do publish one is $46.10/hr — about $95,900/yr at 2,080 hours. Ask UA Local 589 directly for its current scale.
All 170 UA pay scales →UA Local 589 is based in Virginia, Minnesota. It represents and trains: Plumber, Pipefitter.
From our last verification: Applicants must set up an online account with the Northern Mechanical and Iron Range JAC before submitting an application and uploading documents. Requirements: at least 18 years old at time of interview, HS diploma/GED or equivalent, birth certificate, physically able to perform trade tasks, DD-214 for veterans applying under GI Bill.
Most UA locals rank applicants by aptitude-test score and fill seats from the top down. The applicants who get in prepped early — start with a free GAN-style practice test or the GAN aptitude test guide.
As of October 25, 2026: The next application window is January 1, 2027 to February 15, 2027. Application schedules are set by the local and its training fund and can change on short notice — always confirm on the local's own site before making plans.
Applications go through the local's apprenticeship/training program (https://www.11589jatc.com/). The usual process: submit the application with your HS diploma or GED and ID, take the aptitude test, then complete a scored interview that sets your rank on the eligibility list.
UA Local 589 (Virginia, Minnesota) represents Plumber, Pipefitter — its apprenticeship program trains those trades. If you want a different pipe trade, check the neighboring UA locals in the directory.
Most UA locals test applicants with the GAN aptitude battery — reading comprehension, numerical computation and reasoning, problem solving, paper folding, and mechanical comprehension — and rank candidates by score. Your test score plus interview decide your ranking, so prep before the window opens.
Applying is step one — the aptitude battery and the scored interview decide your rank. Set this local in the app and your study plan gets paced to its deadline.
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