The Boston Building and Construction Trades Council (also branded Greater Boston Building Trades Unions¹) is an umbrella group of twenty construction unions across the Greater Boston area.² The purpose of the organization is to promote the unions’ interests ³ and increase union membership.⁴

Before his election as the 54^th Mayor of Boston, Democratic politician and Biden administration nominee for Secretary of Labor Martin J. Walsh led the Boston Building and Construction Trades Council.⁵

Finances

In 2019 the Council reported $971,444 in contributions,⁶ $971,745 in total revenue,⁷ and possessed $654,079 in net assets after accounting for all liabilities.⁸

In 2019, the Council reported making a $75,000 contribution to the Chinese Progressive Association, a Chinese Communist Party-sympathetic⁹ left-wing advocacy and political organizing group.¹⁰

Controversies

Critics have charged the Boston Building Trades Council with failing to meet mandated hiring targets for women and ethnic minority workers. The Boston Residents Jobs Policy requires that 51% of construction work be allocated to Boston residents, 40% to people of color, and 12% to women. The Boston Employment Commission, a city agency in charge of overseeing the policy, has documented the Council’s failure on all three accounts.¹¹ The Boston Employment Commission found that between January 2017 and May 2019, 86,285 hours of construction work was performed in Boston and only 19.6% of that work was done by Boston residents, 21.4% by people of color, and 5.5% by women.¹²

Membership

The council is comprised of 20 unions. They include:¹³

• International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 29
• International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 3
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 103
• International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 4
• International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators Local 6
• International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers Local 7
• Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 22
• Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 88 (Tunnel Workers)
• Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 151
• Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 223
• Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 1421 (Wreckers)
• International Union of Operating Engineers Local 4
• International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 35
• United Association Pipefitters Local 537
• United Association Plumbers and Gasfitters Local 12
• United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers Local 33
• Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association Local 17
• United Association Sprinkler Fitters Local 550
• International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 25

Leadership

Brian Doherty is the secretary-treasurer of the Boston Building and Construction Trades Council. In 2019 Doherty received $167,130 in compensation for representing the union.¹⁴ Before joining the Boston Building and Construction Trades Council in 2014, Doherty was a member of the Laborers Local 223 construction union for 16 years.¹⁵

1. “About” Greater Boston Building Trades Union. https://metrobtc.org/about/
2. “About” Greater Boston Building Trades Union. https://metrobtc.org/about/
3. “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed January 10, 2021. Part I. Line 8.
4. “About” Greater Boston Building Trades Union. https://metrobtc.org/about/
5. Leblanc, Steve. “Biden Picks Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as Labor Secretary.” AP NEWS. Associated Press, January 8, 2021. https://apnews.com/article/marty-walsh-labor-secretary-0b7ec3cce636a7e767e3d4f494b5fa78.
6. “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed January 10, 2021. Part I. Line 8.
7. “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed January 10, 2021. Part I. Line 12.
8. “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed January 10, 2021. Part I. Line 22.
9. Gunnoe, Brandon. “Demonstrators Protest Raising of Chinese Flag at Boston City Hall.” Boston News Weather Sports WHDH 7News, September 30, 2019. https://whdh.com/news/demonstrators-protest-raising-of-chinese-flag-at-boston-city-hall/
10. Boston Building and Construction Trades Council AFL-CIO (Department of Labor file number 046-880), Annual Report of a Labor Organization (Form LM-2), 2019, Schedule 17 https://olmsapps.dol.gov/query/orgReport.do?rptId=733135&rptForm=LM2Form
11. Mullings, Morgan C. “Building trades unions won’t disclose racial data” The Bay State Banner. July 16, 2020. Accessed January 10, 2021. https://www.baystatebanner.com/2020/07/16/building-trades-unions-wont-disclose-racial-data/
12. Mullings, Morgan C. “Building trades unions won’t disclose racial data” The Bay State Banner. July 16, 2020. Accessed January 10, 2021. https://www.baystatebanner.com/2020/07/16/building-trades-unions-wont-disclose-racial-data/
13. “About” Greater Boston Building Trades Union. https://metrobtc.org/about/
14. “Form LM-2 Annual Report for Boston Building Trades Council – Schedule 11” Office of Labor Management Standards – Department of Labor. Accessed January 10, 2021.  
15. Metzger, Andy. “Construction union that was headed by Walsh elects new leader” Dorchester Reporter. January