Iron Workers Local 377
Organized Labor
International Association of Bridge, Structural, and Ornamental Local 377
At what used to be the international terminal of the San Francisco Airport, apprentice iron worker connector Jarrett Gann balances on a beam several stories up as he grabs the end of a 50-foot iron beam suspended by a cable and eases it into place. A short time later, he bolts two beams together, reaching over the edge as he lies on his stomach. Barely able to see where his hands are reaching, he relies on raising gang foreman Mike Hinton to shout directions, guiding him from the story below. Although iron workers may be characterized by their bravado, it's teamwork and the ability to work with others that gets the job done.
That, and a playful spirit. Workers say they are reminded of playing with erector sets as kids. But then the pieces were tiny; now the pieces are huge and the workers seem tiny.
On the Jobsite visited members of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, and Ornamental Iron Workers Local 377, who were working at the airport along with members of two other Northern California locals, Local 118 and Local 378. Local 377 represents nearly 3,000 men and women in the iron working industry, from the Oregon border to Monterey, and from the Pacific Ocean to Highway 101. The San Francisco Airport jobsite included over half-a-dozen specialized contractors in charge of the diverse aspects of the iron working industry, including Alamillo (rebar), California Erectors (structural steel), Pacific Erectors (metal decking, siding and architectural panels), Lee's Imperial Welding (structural steel and miscellaneous metals), Sheety Crane and Rigging (rigging, personnel and material hoists), Bigge Crane and Rigging (rigging), and BEI Steel (jet ways).