About Us

Local 3 SEIU Firemen and Oilers evolved from the oldest local in the Firemen and Oilers Union. The International Brotherhood of Stationary Firemen (IBSF) was an American trade union established in 1898 and affiliated with the American Federation of Labor (AF of L). The union was established as a mechanism for advancing the collective interests of workers engaged in the operation of steam boilers. Originally limited to stationary firemen, in 1919 the AF of L expanded the organization's jurisdictional mandate to oilers and boiler room helpers, and the name was changed to International Brotherhood of Stationary Firemen and Oilers (IBSFO).

 

The use of the term "stationary firemen" for boiler operator gradually became archaic and the commonly used name of the union became for years the International Brotherhood of Firemen and Oilers (IBFO). This change was formally recognized by the group at its convention of 1956 when the organizational name was officially changed. In 1994 negotiations took place between the IBFO and the large Service Employees International Union (SEIU) which resulted a close affiliation with the boiler operators henceforth known as the National Conference of Firemen and Oilers (NCFO).

 

Today’s F&O, Local 3, SEIU members work in a vast array of industries and services. We keep some of the Boston area's most famous buildings up and running. We keep your schools clean, your drinking water pure, and your streets plowed. The brothers and sisters of Local 3 make your life better every day. From the Sheraton Boston Hotel and Towers to the hard working men in women at the Paper Mills in the state of Maine, our members are proud to be Firemen and Oilers!