How We Build
Better People

Professionalism is one of the reasons Ironworkers take so much pride in what they do. Choosing to become a Professional Ironworker is a commitment to career-long learning and advancement that makes the job so rewarding some Ironworker families have done it for generations.

It starts with apprenticeship.

The tradition of apprenticeship is rooted in timeless common sense: The best way to learn a trade is by doing it under the supervision of experienced people. Ironworker apprentices in Canada commit to training that will last three or four years, depending on local requirements. They’ll spend a minimum of 1500 paid hours per year on the job during that time, along with six to eight weeks a year of technical training at one of our training facilities.

Canada’s Professional Ironworkers have some of the highest training standards in the construction industry. Apprentices are held to professional standards, and are expected to put in a full day’s work for a day’s pay, to be healthy and drug free, and to be cooperative and engaged team players. Our commitment to training is so strong that if all of Canada’s Ironworker training facilities were combined into one institution, it would be the biggest university in the country.

Being a journeyman.

A graduating apprentice is called a ‘journeyman’, and becomes eligible for the full pay and benefits of a Professional Ironworker. But professional development doesn’t stop there. This work can be lifelong. Ironworkers continue to learn and update specialized skills and, if they wish, can advance to supervisory roles as they become more experienced. A career as a Professional Ironworker is what you make it. The best ones make the most of it.

How We Build A
Better Working Life

Ironworkers are employed by contractors on a project-by-project basis.

Projects can last anywhere from a few months to many years, depending on the size of the structures involved. But although Ironworkers work in all kinds of conditions, this work can be seasonal, and opportunities can arise in any part of Canada.

That’s why a Professional Ironworker’s home base is his Local. Not only is this where contractors source the high-quality workers they need, but it’s also a supportive community for Ironworkers themselves. Here, they can access training resources, advocacy and a family of people with a special understanding of the thrill and challenges of the job. To learn more about the benefits of membership, contact the local where you live.

Contact Your Local

How We Build
Better Partnerships

For many Canadians, the word ‘union’ hints at conflict. For Canada’s Professional Ironworkers, nothing could be further from the truth. Although, like any trade union, the Ironworkers exist to ensure safe working conditions and fair pay, we believe we’re only winning when our members are working. That’s why we focus on making our people the most skilled, safe and responsible workers available. Because when you’re better, you’re in demand.

The key to this is the unique partnership between Canada’s Ironworkers and the contractors who employ them. It’s called IMPACT (Ironworker Management Progressive Action Cooperative Trust), and it was created not only to provide a forum for Ironworkers and contractors to resolve issues of mutual concern, but also to increase our competitiveness and create business opportunities that benefit everyone.

Through IMPACT, Canada’s Ironworkers know that someone is competing to win projects that keep them working, and our union contractors know they have a reliable, efficient pool of workers they can count on to help win those bids.