Ironworkers: Great Lake District Council

In the late 1880s, steel had virtually replaced wood and stone as the primary load-carrying material in the erection of bridges and buildings. This abrupt change in structural materials brought about a demand for a new type of worker --- bridgemen and architectural ironworkers. The International Association of Bridge and Structural Iron Workers of America was established on February 4, 1896. The Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council is made up of eight Iron Worker Local Unions. These Locals cover the lower peninsula of Michigan, Northern Ohio, Western Pennsylvania and Northern West Virginia.