Structure

Local lodges are the most important structural part of the union. All of the other structural elements - sections, divisions, districts, councils, and departments - exist solely to help local lodges conduct their business more effectively.

Lodges are formed when workers organize themselves in order to bargain collectively with their employer. Our Constitution allows the International to grant a charter to any local lodge when 35 or more persons residing in the United States or Canada meet the qualifications of membership.

Each local lodge, within the framework of the Brotherhood's Constitution, adopts by-laws specifying the rules and regulations governing the conduct of the local lodge. Local lodge members elect the officers of their lodge and vote on contracts and other important matters.

Because the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers is such a diverse union, our local lodges range in size from several thousand members to a few dozen. They are as diverse as our membership is - representing workers in many of North America's most vital industries, in locations stretching from Hawaii to Newfoundland.

Divisions

The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers has established a number of divisions to enable officers and staff representing lodges within the same industry to work together more efficiently. Like all aspects of the union’s structure, over time divisions have been added and eliminated to accommodate the changing make-up of our membership.

Two divisions have been created to accommodate mergers. The Cement, Lime, Gypsum, and Allied Workers (CLGAW) Division was created in April 1984 when the Boilermakers merged with the Cement, Lime, Gypsum, and Allied Workers Union. The Stove, Furnace, Energy, and Allied Appliance Workers (SFEAW) Division was created in October 1994 when the Stove, Furnace, and Allied Appliance Workers International Union of North America merged with the Boilermakers union. These divisions are represented on the executive council by their geographical vice president and also by the International Vice President-at-Large – Industrial Sector Operations.

Geographic Regions

Delegates to the Fifth Consolidated Convention in 1902 realized that the needs of the members could be more efficiently met if the International were divided into geographic sections, with a general vice president assigned to head each section. This structure remains in place, though the number of sections and territory within each section has changed often, as the union has grown and changed. In addition, recent mergers have made it necessary to create a division whose local lodges are not part of the geographical section structure.

Currently, the union is divided into four U.S. sections, each with an International vice president (IVP) to oversee the lodges in their respective jurisdictions, as well as an IVP for Canada.

In addition to the vice presidents who represent geographical sections, one International vice president serves and advocates for members in industrial lodges, regardless of where they are situated geographically.