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.

Minute books of the United Operative Bricklayers' Trade Society (1924-1927, 1940-1945), the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners (1926-1945) and the Building Workers' Industrial Union (1946-1973), rules, membership records (1925, 1945-1977), Secretary's files (1963-1988), office files, correspondence, industrial files, printed material, badges, and some photographs. Includes papers of Peter Christie relating to the Operative Plasterers' and Plaster Workers' Federation, the ACT Trades and Labor Council and the Australian Labor Party (1971-1978).

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.