Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers

Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers
Name	Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers
Founded	1887
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Country	United States
Affiliation	AFL–CIO
Membership	160,000 (approx.)

Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers is a North American labor union representing skilled masons, tile setters, terrazzo workers, and related trades. The union operates within trade union movements linked to the AFL–CIO, interacts with federal agencies such as the Department of Labor (United States), and affiliates with international counterparts like the International Trade Union Confederation and provincial organizations in Ontario and Quebec.

History

The union traces roots to craft unions active in the late 19th century, including local organizations established during the era of the Homestead Strike, engagement with leaders such as Samuel Gompers and affiliation moves paralleling the formation of the AFL. It reorganized through periods shaped by legislation like the Taft–Hartley Act and crises including the Great Depression, cooperating with New Deal agencies such as the Works Progress Administration. Postwar expansions saw interactions with construction milestones like the Interstate Highway System and labor law developments culminating in modern collective bargaining models influenced by cases heard at the National Labor Relations Board.

Organization and Structure

The union is structured with a national office, regional councils, and local unions modeled after historic craft union frameworks derived from examples like the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Governance follows constitutional conventions similar to those of the AFL–CIO and uses conventions and executive boards comparable to the governance of the International Longshoremen's Association and the United Auto Workers. It participates in joint labor-management entities like area standards boards and apprenticeship committees that mirror cooperative structures used by the United Association and the Sheet Metal Workers' International Association.

Membership and Demographics

Membership comprises journeymen, apprentices, and retired members distributed across urban centers such as New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles, and in regions like the Rust Belt and the Sun Belt. Demographic shifts reflect migration patterns similar to those documented for the Teamsters and the United Mine Workers of America, with diversity trends paralleling statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (United States) and census data analyzed in studies by institutions like the Brookings Institution and the Economic Policy Institute.

Training and Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship programs follow standards set by the Department of Labor (United States) Office of Apprenticeship and mirror curricula used by trade education programs at institutions such as the Carnegie Mellon University construction management department and community colleges like Bergen Community College. Training includes masonry techniques documented in texts referenced by the American Institute of Architects and safety modules aligned with rules from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Joint labor-management apprenticeship committees resemble models employed by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Laborers' International Union of North America.

Work and Trade Practices

Work practices encompass bricklaying, blockwork, stone setting, tile installation, and restoration projects on structures like those cataloged by the National Register of Historic Places and commissions such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Projects range from commercial skyscrapers in Manhattan to infrastructure projects funded through programs like the Federal Highway Administration. Techniques and productivity metrics have been compared in studies by the National Bureau of Economic Research and professional standards advocated by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Collective Bargaining and Labor Actions

The union negotiates collective bargaining agreements with contractors, trade associations such as the Associated General Contractors of America, and multiemployer trusts similar to arrangements used by the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers. Historic strikes and labor actions have occurred in contexts like large urban construction disputes paralleling events involving the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and have involved arbitration and litigation before bodies such as the National Labor Relations Board and federal courts including rulings in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Safety and Regulations

Safety practices follow standards from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and building codes enforced by authorities like the International Code Council and municipal agencies in cities such as Boston and San Francisco. Regulatory compliance intersects with environmental statutes enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency when remediation of lead or asbestos is involved, and training in fall protection, scaffold use, and hazard communication references guidance from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Category:Trade unions in the United States Category:Construction trades unions