Boston firefighter and organized labor leader Ed Kelly was elected to a leadership position in the International Association of Fire Fighters, a union that says it represents "more than 300,000 full-time professional fire fighters and paramedics in more than 3,100 affiliates" in the United States and Canada.

At the IAFF's annual convention at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Kelly was elected by acclamation as the union's general secretary-treasurer, the Boston Fire Department announced soon after the vote.

"Honored to be present for FF Ed Kelly's election by acclamation as General Secretary Treasurer of the IAFF. Congratulations!," BFD Commissioner Joe Finn tweeted Wednesday.

As general secretary-treasurer, Kelly, known locally as Edzo, will serve as the union's chief financial officer and supervise "all financial activities, reporting required for federal and state authorities, human resources and general administration, and membership services," according to the IAFF.

Kelly will replace retiring general secretary-treasurer Thomas Miller, who has served the union in that position since 2010. Kelly works on Ladder 17 in Boston's South End and he has been president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts since 2011.

Kelly had previously served as president of Local 718. Before joining the Boston Fire Department in 1997, Kelly joined the U.S. Air Force in 1994 and went to the U.S. Department of Defense fire academy. As a local labor leader, Kelly has been willing to go toe-to-toe with City Hall engaging in a bruising battle with the late Boston Mayor Tom Menino over his local's contract in 2007 and 2008.