The International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) is a

labor 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 (s ...

in the United States and Canada which represents

bricklayer A bricklayer, which is related to but different from a mason, is a craftsman and tradesman who lays bricks to construct brickwork. The terms also refer to personnel who use blocks to construct blockwork walls and other forms of masonry ...

s, restoration specialists, pointers/cleaners/caulkers, stonemasons, marble masons, cement masons,

plaster Plaster is a building material used for the protective or decorative coating of walls and ceilings and for moulding and casting decorative elements. In English, "plaster" usually means a material used for the interiors of buildings, while "re ...

ers, tile setters, terrazzo mechanics, and tile, marble and terrazzo finishers. The union is an affiliate of 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 its Building and Construction Trades Department. It is also affiliated with the Canadian Labour Congress in Canada. The oldest continuously operating trade union in North America, BAC was founded in 1865 as the Bricklayers, Masons and Plasterers International Union of America (BMPIU). It was established during a great wave of blue-collar union formation in the 1860s. The organization has changed its name several times during its history to reflect its changing membership. In 1884 the name changed to Bricklayers and Masons International Union. In 1910 the name changed again to Bricklayers, Masons, and Plasterers International Union. In 1995 the union's name changed for the third and final time, renaming the union to International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC). This last change changed "craftsmen" to "craftworkers." The Union's first Canadian unions were chartered in Hamilton and Toronto, Ontario in 1881, making the union truly international. BAC President Harry Bates played a major role in the merger of

AFL AFL may refer to: Sports * American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues: ** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...

and CIO in 1955, serving as Chair of the

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. In 2000, the BAC created its " Canadian Congress" to give Canadian members a powerful, greater voice in union affairs. James Boland, the 25th President of the International Union, took office in February 2010. During his tenure the International and its affiliates have focused on creating coalitions with management partners and community groups to expand work prospects for BAC members and signatory contractors. Some of those initiatives include gaining preeminence in

green building Green building (also known as green construction or sustainable building) refers to both a structure and the application of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from planni ...

, strengthening members’ well deserved benefits through job-creating capital strategies, and developing customized education and training programs for design professionals, signatory contractors and craftworkers.

Leadership

Executive board

BAC's Executive board is elected every five years by the delegates to the International Union's Convention. *President: Timothy J. Driscoll *Secretary-Treasurer: Robert Arnold *Executive Vice President: Jeremiah Sullivan, Jr.

Presidents

:1865: John A. White : :William Klein :George G. Gubbins :1904: William J. Bowen :1928: :1935: Harry Bates :1960: John J. Murphy :1966: Thomas F. Murphy :1979: Jack Joyce :1999: John J. Flynn :2010: James Boland :2020: Timothy J. Driscoll

References

*Bates, Harry C. ''Bricklayers' Century of Craftsmanship: A History of the Bricklayers, Masons and Plasterers' International Union of America''. Washington, D.C.: Bricklayers, Masons and Plasterers Union, 1955. *Fink, Gary M., ed. ''Biographical Dictionary of American Labor''. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1984. *Rayback, Joseph G. ''A History of American Labor''. Rev. and exp. ed. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., 1974.

External links

*
IMI Web site
AFL–CIO Canadian Labour Congress Trade unions in the United States Trade unions in Canada International Federation of Building and Wood Workers Bricklayers' trade unions Trade unions established in 1865 {{NorthAm-trade-union-stub