Since its founding in 1865, the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers has actively fought to improve our members’ quality of life – on and off the job – through access to fair wages, good benefits, safe working conditions, and solidarity among members.
Today, we represent the most highly skilled trowel trades craftworkers across the United States and Canada including bricklayers, stone and marble masons, cement masons, plasterers, tilesetters, terrazzo and mosaic workers, and pointers/ cleaners/ caulkers. With over a century of protecting the rights of our workers, BAC is the oldest continuous union in North America.
BAC membership is represented by Locals and Administrative District Councils (ADCs) in five regions – Northeast, North Central, South, West, and Canada.
The International Masonry Institute (IMI) is a labor-management cooperative of BAC and the contractors who employ its members.
BAC members are skilled craftworkers in a variety of crafts – Brick, Tile, Stone, Marble, Terrazzo, Cement, Plaster, and PCC/Restoration.
BAC became an international union in 1881 with the admittance of locals representing workers from Hamilton and Toronto in Ontario, Canada.
Since 1986, BAC Craft Awards have saluted Local Unions and workers for excellence in the trowel trades and distinguished service to their Local Unions and communities.
Four types of pensions are provided under the Plan: Normal Pension, Early Retirement Pension, Disability Pension, and Deferred Vested Pension. In addition, the Plan provides for a lump sum Severance Benefit and Death benefits. Non-covered Masonry Employment may impact eligibility for these benefits.
Contractors make direct contributions to benefit funds. The funds keep track of the hours you work and ensures that the appropriate contributions are being made, following up with delinquent contractors until the money is deposited properly. You can help by keeping copies of all pay stubs, since they indicate the number of hours you worked and the contributions your employer owes. Pay stubs can be valuable evidence when a contractor has not paid you fairly or has failed to make contributions. Information from pay stubs can also be useful if you are injured or become ill from a job-related hazard. International and Local benefit funds send participants annual or periodic statements, which can be used to verify the accuracy of their records.
BAC members are covered by collective bargaining agreements – legally binding documents explaining what the contractor must pay you in wages, when and how wages will increase, and the fringe benefits available. The collective bargaining agreement also outlines the work rules the contractor has agreed to follow. To make sure you understand your rights, contact your Local/ADC for a copy of its collective bargaining agreement.
Yes. Your affiliation with BAC means you can travel to other Locals’ markets and be guaranteed Union wages, protection, and support. When you travel outside of your home Local, be sure to check in with the Local/ADC in the area where you plan to work.