Our History

The Brotherhood of Painters and Decorators of America is established.

The First General Assembly of the Brotherhood, colorized.

7th Biennial Convention of the Brotherhood of Painters and Decorators of America.

Official name changed to the Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators, and Paperhangers of America.

Union Label cartoon, colorized.

Officers in the General Executive Boardroom of the Brotherhood headquarters in Lafayette, Indiana.

Filing Card and Journal Department of the Brotherhood headquarters in Lafayette, Indiana.

Correspondence Room No. 2 at Brotherhood headquarters in Lafayette, Indiana. The gentleman on the far left is W. Cook.

Sixteenth Anniversary Journal cover.

Paint makers.

Paint makers (colorized).

Members of Sign and Pictorial Painters Local 820 (Raytown, Missouri) on a horse-drawn float (colorized).

Dedication of monument honoring founder and first GST John T. “Jack” Elliott, Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore.

First World War painters in Fort Sheridan, Illinois.

Construction finished on the first Brotherhood International headquarters in Lafayette, Indiana.

The first Brotherhood International headquarters in Lafayette, Indiana, colorized.

The 1921 Convention Audit Committee in front of the first Brothehood headquarters in Lafayette, Indiana.

“Painter and Decorator” cover with the Lafayette headquarters on it, colorized border added in 2022.

Local 636 (Los Angeles, California) glaziers prepare glass for installation.

Local 636 (Los Angeles, California) glaziers install a large glass plate.

Local 636 (Los Angeles, California) glaziers next to a horse-drawn glass cart, colorized.

Glaziers from Louis Rothholz Plate Glass in Bronx, New York.

Kansas City paint makers from Local 754 at a filling plant, colorized.

General President L. Lindelof and GST L.Raftery purchase $200,000 in war bonds from Second World War Loan Drive Cmte.

A Local Union 138 (Vancouver, British Columbia) painter teaches an apprentice how to use a cup gun.

Cup gun demonstration.

Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paperhangers of America DC 80 housepainters in Kenner, Louisiana,

Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paperhangers of America DC 80 housepainters in Kenner, Louisiana,, colorized.

1954 General Convention, Seattle, Washington.

Local 138 (Vancouver, British Columbia) painters perform charity paint work.

General Organizers from the United States and Canada gathered in Lafayette, Indiana, for a continental organizing drive.

A drywall finishing class.

Local 583 (Calgary, Alberta), initiated Evelyn Pederson, its second female member in 62 years.

Painters and decorators from Locals 368, 890 & 1778 prepped the White House for President Nixon’s inauguration.

A group of house painters.

Official name changed to the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades.

The IBPAT moved into its new headquarters in Washington, DC, alongside SMWIA, IAFF and Ironworkers.

A Job Corps apprentice paints a sign at Mammoth Cave Baptist Church at Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky.

A sign and pictorial painter illustrates his craft.

Local 829 (New York, NY) scenic artist Herb Steinberg works on his 8’6” by 30′ mural, “Painters and Allied Trades.”

Herb Steinberg’s mural hung in the boardroom of the Brotherhood headquarters for many years.

Members of Local 1339 (Hartford, Connecticut) installing a safety shield at the Hartford Civic Center.

End phase of a tempered glass installation in an unknown location, colorized.

DC 16/LU 913 (San Mateo, CA) painter
Ron Johnson. Brother Johnson went on to become an instructor for over 30 years.

Cascades Job Corps students paint historic steam locomotive “Ole #2 Spot”in Sedro Woolley, Washington.

Local 333 (La Mesa, California) industrial painter Raul Vargas.

Official name changed to the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades.

DC 15 members working for Giroux Glass Inc (Las Vegas, Nevada) helped construct the Grand Canyon Skywalk.

DC 15 members working for Giroux Glass Inc (Las Vegas, Nevada) helped construct the Grand Canyon Skywalk.

DC 77/LU 1756 (Aiken, SC) Job Corps students on the cover of a Job Corps marketing video and the April 2007 Journal.

Atterbury Job Corps Center (Indiana) students with their sign quoting presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

The IUPAT moved into its new headquarters in Hanover, Maryland.

Lions adorn an IUPAT headquarters entrance. The iFTI training center and IUPAT Residence Hall are also on campus.

Brother Ken Rigmaiden became the first Black General President of the IUPAT, as well as the Building Trades unions.

The 31st General Convention of the IUPAT in Orlando, Florida.

100 years of Rafterys at IUPAT General Conventions. L to R: Kristopher, Ginny, GST George Galis, Greg, and Ray.

DC 58/LU 513 (St. Louis) members Steve Kirwan and Charlie Raftery prepare to replace glass at Natalie’s Cakes & More.

DC 58/LU 513 members S. Kirwan and C. Raftery replace glass at Natalie’s Cakes & More following unrest in Ferguson, MO.

DC 6/LU 181 (Cleveland, Ohio) glazier Nichole McCarthy.

IUPAT members at the 2017 Tradeswomen Build Nations Conference in Chicago, Illinois.

DC 9 members helped brighten the Morris Park
Subway Station (Bronx) as part of Publicor’s stay-in-school youth program.

Brother Mike Gutierrez became the first Latino General Vice President of the IUPAT.

DC 88/LU 550 at the America Starts with Tradeshows Rally in Houston. The industry was hard-hit by the COVID pandemic.

DC 51 members support the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, Washington, DC. COVID masks a sign of the times.

IUPAT members at a Las Vegas rally highlighting the unscrupulous business practices of Unforgettable Coatings.

The IUPAT celebrated 135 years of fighting for working people.

Journeyman Painter Ken Barrie, DC 39/LU 1945 (Cape Breton Island), spraying a water tank in New Minas, Nova Scotia.

In its first year, organizers helped DC 46’s residential paint campaign (Ottawa) gain 30 contractors & 70% market share

Due to the efforts of DC 6/LU 707 member Bill Jaworske, the world celebrates International Painters Day each April 30.

Members of the Black CORE Committee at the 2023 Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) Convention in New Orleans.

DC 9 members at their first National Puerto Rican Day Parade in NYC. DC 9 chartered Local 1895 (Puerto Rico) in 2023.

DC 9 members at the 2023 NYC Pride March.

Sister Liz McElroy became the first female General Vice President of the IUPAT.

For the first time in its history, the IUPAT has four women organizing directors.