The Manitoba Building and Construction Trades Council has 14 member unions. They are “locals”, or local branches of national or international unions. Each has its own bylaws, rules, officers, etc; each negotiates individual wage agreements with employers; and each provides slightly different benefits and services to its members.

The first union in Manitoba dates back to 1881. Different unions got together under one hat for the first time in 1909 when the Winnipeg Building Trades Council was formed – the direct ancestor of today’s Manitoba Building and Construction Trades Council.