This is where you will find all the latest news about the Iron Workers, as well as all upcoming events. Please visit this page occasionally to see what the members of Iron Workers Local Union No. 3 are working on or have completed.
What is an ironworker?
Some people confuse ironworkers with steelworkers. Ironworkers are members of the Building and Construction Trades. Ironworkers work on outside projects, erecting buildings, stadiums, bridges, prefabricated buildings and other related work. Steelworkers work in steel mills, which produce the steel.
I’m told that work for ironworkers in the area is not steady, with plenty of downtime.
It’s true that an ironworker doesn’t do a 9 to 5 job and that there are seasonal variations, but there are several things to consider. First, with all of the anticipated construction being planned for western Pennsylvania in the coming years – a casino, a hotel, coal degasification facilities, the Fifth & Forbes Corridor – there will be plenty of work for the foreseeable future. In addition, members of Iron Workers Local Union No. 3 are not restricted to western Pennsylvania. As an ironworker, you can go where you’re needed.
I’m told I can save 30 percent if I hire non-union labor.
A study by a research firm, Independent Project Analysis, determined that union jobs are 17 percent more productive than those of non-unions, so when you hire union labor, you hire the best trained workers who are committed to helping you do the job on time and on budget. In today’s environment of sophisticated construction and computerized buildings, labor represents, on average, only 25 percent of the entire construction budget. It’s not reasonable to assume that you could save that amount of money.
But what if union labor strikes in the middle of my job?
Each of the 23 building trades unions negotiates separate contracts with employers, which may expire at different times. That’s why we recommend that every major construction job be performed under a project labor agreement, or PLA. Every PLA is different, but at minimum, they guarantee there will be no strikes or work stoppages through the life of the project. Owners and contractors, along with all of the unions working on the job, also can negotiate the percentage of work that should be done by minority and women-owned companies and issues such as making up construction days lost to bad weather. Since the opening of the Pittsburgh International Airport in 1992, virtually every major building constructed in western Pennsylvania has had a PLA. That includes PNC Park, Heinz Field and the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.