The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers (IBB) is a

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. It is for

boilermaker A boilermaker is a tradesperson who fabricates steel, iron, or copper into boilers and other large containers intended to hold hot gas or liquid, as well as maintains and repairs boilers and boiler systems.Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Dep ...

s and related occupations, and is affiliated with both the

AFL–CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 12 million ac ...

and

CLC CLC may refer to: Religion * Christian Life Centre, a number of individual and networked Pentecostal churches in Australia * Christian Life Community, an international association of lay Christians * Church of the Lutheran Confession, an American ...

. The Boilermakers union has a four-year

apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a Tradesman, trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners ...

training program before becoming a

Journeyman A journeyman, journeywoman, or journeyperson is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that fie ...

. Boilermakers primarily work in nuclear and fossil power plants. However they also work in shipyards, refineries and chemical plants. The work involves welding, rigging and fabricating. All work done is governed by OSHA (

Occupational Safety and Health Administration The Occupational Safety and Health Administration'' (OSHA ) is a large regulatory agency of the United States Department of Labor that originally had federal visitorial powers to inspect and examine workplaces. Congress established the agenc ...

) or MSHA (

Mine Safety and Health Administration The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) () is a large agency of the United States Department of Labor which administers the provisions of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act) to enforce compliance with mandatory safet ...

History

Formation

The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers was founded on September 1, 1893. On that day, at a meeting in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, representatives from the International Brotherhood of Boiler Makers and Iron Ship Builders, which had been organized on October 1, 1880, and the National Brotherhood of Boiler Makers, which had been formed in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, in May 1888, resolved to consolidate their organizations. It was further agreed that the new organization, to be known as the Brotherhood of Boiler Makers and Iron Ship Builders of America, would make its headquarters in

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of ...

Affiliation with AFL

Two and a half years later, on the ninth of June 1896, the Brotherhood affiliated with the

American Federation of Labor The American Federation of Labor (A.F. of L.) was a national federation of labor unions in the United States that continues today as the AFL-CIO. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions eager to provide mutu ...

Helpers Division

In subsequent years, the Brotherhood continued to grow, and in 1902, the Helpers division was formed. Because helpers were barred from sitting in the lodge room with mechanics, this new division had its own local unions and was entirely separate from the Boiler Makers. This would change a decade later when the Helpers Division would be consolidated with the Mechanics Division.

Name change

In March 1906, at a special Convention in Kansas City, the name of the Union was changed to the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders and Helpers of America in order to incorporate the newest division. Also at this time, the term "Boiler Makers" was condensed into one word, "Boilermakers."

Affiliation with AFL–CIO

The Boilermakers affiliated with the Building Trades Department of the American Federation of Labor in February 1931. At the turn of the century, total membership stood at about 8,500, but by 1944, due in part to dramatic increases in the shipbuilding, railroad, and fabrication shop industries during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the Boilermakers numbered over 350,000.

First merger

In 1954, the Boilermakers merged their organization with the International Brotherhood of Blacksmiths, Drop Forgers and Helpers. The

International Brotherhood of Blacksmiths International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

had been organized in 1889 and added Helpers to both their membership and their name in 1901.

Second merger and name change

A 1919 merger with the

Brotherhood of Drop Forgers Brotherhood or The Brotherhood may refer to: Family, relationships, and organizations * Fraternity (philosophy) or brotherhood, an ethical relationship between people, which is based on love and solidarity * Fraternity or brotherhood, a male ...

created the union that, on June 29, 1953, merged with the Boilermakers to create the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers. A year later, a new International seal was adopted to include all crafts.

Health and Welfare Fund

On October 1, 1954, the Boilermaker National Health and Welfare Fund was established, on November 9, 1959, the Boilermakers National Joint Apprenticeship Fund began, and the Boilermaker-Blacksmith National Pension Trust became effective October 1, 1960.

Construction Division

Delegates to the 1977 convention voted to establish a Construction Division at International Headquarters for the purpose of servicing those members with employment in, or related to, the construction industry.

Third merger

On March 15, 1984, the delegates to the Special Merger Convention of the

United Cement, Lime, Gypsum and Allied Workers International Union The United Cement, Lime and Gypsum Workers' International Union (UCLG) was a labor union representing workers involved in processing building supplies in the United States and Canada. The union was established in 1936, as the National Council of Un ...

voted to merge with the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers. The merger of the CLGAW, formed in 1936, and its 10,000 members who dominate the building products and supplies industry, and the Boilermakers forged an organization with a greater ability to provide services to its members.

Fourth merger

On October 1, 1994, a merger was consummated with the

Stove, Furnace and Allied Appliance Workers' International Union The Stove, Furnace and Allied Appliance Workers' International Union of North America (SFAW) was a labor union representing workers involved in fitting heating equipment in the United States and Canada. History The union was founded on December 29, ...

—a

skilled trade A tradesman, tradeswoman, or tradesperson is a skilled worker that specializes in a particular trade (occupation or field of work). Tradesmen usually have work experience, on-the-job training, and often formal vocational education in contrast to ...

union that was organized in 1891. The Stove Workers, with 5,800 members, became a division of the International Brotherhood known as the Stove, Furnace, Energy and Allied Appliance Workers Division. The word ''energy'' was inserted to give special recognition to coal miners within that division. The division had its members employed primarily in the manufacturing of stoves and various types of appliances.

Fifth merger

During the same period, merger talks were also being carried out with an independent union known as the

Western Energy Workers Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US * Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that i ...

. This one-local union, formed in 1978 with members employed in the coal

strip-mining Surface mining, including strip mining, open-pit mining and mountaintop removal mining, is a broad category of mining in which soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit (the overburden) are removed, in contrast to underground mining, in which ...

, signed a merger agreement with the Boilermakers effective December 1, 1994.

Sixth merger

In October 1996, a merger agreement was made with the

Metal Polishers', Buffers', Platers' and Allied Workers' International Union The Metal Polishers', Buffers', Platers' and Allied Workers' International Union (MPBP) was a labor union representing metal workers in the United States and Canada. The union was founded in 1892, as the Metal Polishers', Buffers' and Platers' Int ...

. This union was also an old line, skilled trade union that was organized in 1892. This merger brought 4,000 new members to the Brotherhood. These members are employed primarily in plating and polishing shops within the

and

International president

On July 24, 2003, International President Charles W. Jones resigned his office, and the International Executive Council elected Newton B. Jones to complete his unexpired term. Newton B. Jones is a 44-year member of the Boilermakers union. After being elected to fill the unexpired term of International President Charles W. Jones, who retired after 20 years in office and 60 years of service to the Brotherhood, Newton Jones was unanimously reelected to the Boilermakers’ top leadership position in 2006 and 2011, during the union's 31st and 32nd Consolidated Conventions. In 2016, at the 33rd Consolidated Convention, he was reelected International President by an overwhelming margin. Newton presently serves as a Vice President on the AFL–CIO Executive Council and as Chairman of the Materials Sector of IndustriALL, an international labor federation comprising 50 million workers in 140 countries. Since 2003, he has also served as Chairman of Brotherhood Bank & Trust. In 2008 he was unanimously chosen by the Brotherhood Bank and Trust Board of Directors to also serve as its Chief Executive Officer.

Transatlantic merger

On February 8, 2020, Boilermakers announced was planning a strategic partnership with its the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

and

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

trade union the

Transport Salaried Staffs' Association The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) is a trade union for workers in the transport and travel industries in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Its head office is in London, and it has regional offices in Bristol, Derby, Dublin, Manche ...

to support rail workers on both sides of the Atlantic. Later on September 21, 2021, TSSA announced it was planning a full merger with the Boilermakers. This would make the first transatlantic merger of a major trade union. On February 4, 2022, TSSA union representatives backed the merger by 88%. On February 8, 2022, TSSA balloted it members about the merger, advocating a Yes vote to the motion. On March 2, 2022, 85% of members backed the merger and TSSA says it planning to complete the merger by the summer.

Leadership

Presidents

:1893: Lee Johnson :1897: John McNeil :1905: George F. Dunn :1908: Joseph A. Franklin :1944: Charles MacGowan :1954: William Calvin :1962: Russell K. Berg :1970: Harold J. Buoy :1983: Charles W. Jones :2003: Newton B. Jones

Secretary-Treasurers

:1893: William J. Gilthorpe :1914: Frank Reinmeyer :1920: Joseph Flynn :1926: Charles F. Scott :1936: William E. Walter :1945: William J. Buckley :1958: Homer E. Patton :1973: Charles F. Moran :1986: Don Whan :1989: Jerry Willburn :2005: William T. Creeden