Includes Operative Painters’ and Decorators’ Union (OPDU) and Building Workers’ Industrial Union (BWIU) membership records 1950 - 1984, meeting minutes, rules, and enterprise agreements negotiated by the union. There are also papers relating to branch elections, amalgamations and finances; disputes, including some legal files; occupational safety including work site safety, drug and alcohol use and asbestos; training; national and international union and political campaigns including the 1998 maritime dispute; and publications, photographs, CDs, DVDs, videos and posters. Some material relates to infrastructure projects and social issues in the Australian Capital Territory including New Parliament House, the Canberra Casino, self-government, school closures, Old Canberra Hospital, the Folk Festival, and the proposed very fast train.

Records of the United Operative Bricklayers' Trade Society of New South Wales (1870-1942) including Sydney, Newtown, Lithgow, North Sydney, Goulburn, Burwood and Canberra branches, records of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners (1895-1945) including NSW and Queensland Management Committee minutes and records of Sydney, Balmain, Goulburn, Newcastle (membership records 1913-1949), Boulder, Kalgoorlie, Coolgardie and Brisbane branches, and minutes of the NSW State Executive of the BWIU (1943-1983), State conferences (1944-1983) and Newcastle Branch (1940s-1970), subject files, arbitration material, rule books and printed material. Also includes records of the NSW Operative Stonemason's Society (1899-1910), Federated Bricklayers' Association of Australia (1915-1920), Plate, Sheet and Ornamental Glass Workers Union of NSW (1916-1930) and the Ship Joiners Society of Australia (1917-1918, 1950-1952), minutes and membership register of Tilelayers' Union of NSW (1908-1913), minutes (1929-1982) and membership records (1925-1976) of the NSW Glass Workers' Union, minutes of NSW Building Trades Federation (1913-1916), Brewery Employees' Union, Kalgoorlie/Boulder District (1910-1914), Operative Plasterers' and Plaster Worker's Federation, NSW State Executive (1967-1994), Federated Engine Drivers and Firemen's Association (FEDFA) Management Committee (1984-1993), and records of the Operative Painters' and Decorators' Union, NSW Branch (1947-1994) and Newcastle Branch (1974-1991). Records from 1993 were created by the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union.

Minutes of Builders' Labourers' Federation Federal Council and Management Committee (1964-1993) and Federal Conference (1965-1979), of the Operative Plasterers' Federation of Australia/Building Workers' Industrial Union Building and Plasterers Division Executive (1924-1989), of the Operative Painters' and Decorators' Union Executive (1946-1979) and Management Committee (1951-1992), of the Federated Engine Drivers' and Firemen's Association Federal and State Council (1927-1991) and of the State Executive of the Construction and General Division of the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (1992-1995), membership records of the South Australian branch of the Operative Painters' and Decorators' Union (1950-1990), subject and arbitration files, photographs of FEDFA committee (1915), Cyclone Tracy cleanup 1975 and union tour of USSR in 1970s, and audiovisual material (Paul Robeson concert).

Union files for the New Parliament House construction site in Canberra (1982–1988), award and site packages, reports, arbitration and industrial papers, membership records, bulletins and circulars, notes, documents re election of officers and a certificate. Includes records from the Transport Workers' Union, the Amalgamated Metal Workers' Union, the Electrical Trades Union and the Operative Painters' and Decorators' Union.

Minutes of meetings of the Operative Painters and Paperhangers Society of South Australia (1890-1893), the Federated Building Trades Union (1892-1899) and the Operative Painters and Decorators Union (1909-1932) and rule books.

This is a collection of material from predecessor unions to the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union particularly from New South Wales including: the United Plasterers' Society/Operative Plasterers' Federation, the United Operative Bricklayers' Trade Society, the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, the Operative Stonemasons' Society, the Operative Painters and Decorators Union, the Federated Engine Drivers' and Firemen's Association, and the Building Workers' Industrial Union including files of Frank Purse, Ron Monaghan, Brian Miller (May Day), Warren Baker, newsclippings relating to amalgamations and the Builders' Labourers' Federation, stickers, posters and printed material. The posters are mainly from the CFMEU National Office and New South Wales Branch, the Builders' Labourers' Federation and the Building Trades Group of Unions and date from the 1970s to 2006.