The International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers Union, AFL-CIO, is a proud trade union whose roots go back to the 1890’s.  The current membership stands at approximately 140,000, with 15,000 apprentices.  Members of this union have worked on nearly every major construction project you can think of — The Golden Gate Bridge, The Sears Tower, The St. Louis Arch, The World Trade Center, and the World Trade Center recovery effort, to name a few.

Some people confuse Ironworkers with Steelworkers. Ironworkers are members of the Building and Construction Trades and Heavy and Highway Department. Ironworkers work on outside projects erecting buildings and bridges and other related work. Steelworkers work in steel mills which produce the steel.

The union provides many benefits and support for its members.  These benefits include the advantage of working under a collective bargaining agreement that brings bigger paychecks, better health and retirement benefits, more secure jobs, and safe working conditions.  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Ironworkers earn well above the average income for the construction trades. 

Of course, what you will actually earn depends on the collective bargaining agreement of your Local Union, but as of April 2001 earnings for Journeyman Ironworkers who performed outdoor work (including fringe benefits) ranged between $19.15 and $65.23 per hour. The average hourly wage for a beginning Ironworker apprentice (not including fringe benefits) was $13.03, and in some areas was as much as $19.77