Union plumbers, contractors, and industry leaders rallied at the State House last Thursday to advocate for protecting the state’s plumbing codes, build partnerships on green energy transition, and petition legislators on other key safety and regulatory issues impacting the industry.

More than 200 union plumbers, contractors and other industry professionals spent the day at the State House, many of them from Dorchester-based Local 12 and the Greater Boston Plumbing Contractors Association.

“It’s imperative to protect the existing Massachusetts plumbing code and not allow outside interests to implement a watered-down version that would lower health and safety standards,” said Local 12 Business Manager Tim Fandel.

“The current code is revised regularly by local industry professionals who are intimately familiar with the unique issues here in Massachusetts. Removing that local oversight in favor of lax national standards would be a mistake that would put the public and our profession at risk.” 

The plumbing industry, including manufacturing, wholesale and retail, has a combined direct economic impact in Massachusetts exceeding $759 million and supports over 4,600 jobs.