Who
We Are

Did you know that the Golden Gate Bridge was built by ironworkers? What about the testing and building facilities for the Stealth Fighter and Space Shuttle or the famous "Gateway to the West" - the St. Louis Arch? How about the Oil Sands Plant Expansion in Alberta? That's right - ironworkers erected those buildings too. Think about it. Nearly every structure you can think of - schools, sports stadiums, shopping malls, hospitals, bridges, office and industrial buildings - all required the skills of trained ironworkers.

If there were no ironworkers, cities like New York, Chicago, Quebec and Los Angeles would look very different than they do today - no skyscrapers, no bridges, no office buildings. Transportation would be radically different too. How would the millions of commuters every day get to work without the bridges built by - you guessed it - ironworkers. Without ironworkers to erect the skeleton of a structure, no other trade would be able to install their work. That's why ironworkers are the most respected tradesperson in the construction industry.

When you're an ironworker, the sky is the limit. The possibilities of training, earning, providing, advancing, building are endless.  There is no limit to what ironworkers can do!


Ironworker Facts

  • In its 115 year history, the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers has been led by just twelve general presidents-Edward Ryan, John Butler, Frank Buchanan, Frank Ryan, James McClory, Paul Morrin, John Lyons Sr., John Lyons Jr., Juel Drake, Jake West, Joseph Hunt, and Walter Wise.
  • At the 42nd Convention in August 2011, IPAL set a new convention record of collecting over $209,400 donations to the President's Club.
  • Total construction spending is predicted to rise to $817B by 2015.
  • With the completion of every job, it has been a tradition of the Iron Workers to celebrate with a “Topping Out” ceremony when the last beam of the building or bridge is set in place. The tradition is usually done with a Christmas tree, a flag, and an Iron Workers banner, which are hoisted and displayed on the final beam. Traditionally, the last beam is signed by all the ironworkers who worked on that project, representing both their skills employed and their pride in the completed structure.
  • More than 400 ironworkers, along with thousands of other workers, are on site at One World Trade Center, rebuilding the New York skyline. Many ironworkers started their work there ten years ago, doing recovery after the 9/11 attacks. The work is scheduled to be completed in 2013.