IW Iron Workers Local 25 — Detroit, MI

Local 25 of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers (IW) organizes the structural, ornamental, and reinforcing iron workers trade in the Detroit, MI jurisdiction. Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that IW Local 25 members were exposed to asbestos-containing materials at industrial, institutional, and construction jobsites across the local jurisdiction throughout the U.S. asbestos era (approximately 1930s-1980).

IW Iron Workers Trade — Asbestos Exposure Overview

Iron Workers in the International Association (IW / IABSORIW) are the U.S. trade responsible for erecting the structural steel skeletons of high-rise buildings, bridges, power plants, refineries, steel mills, industrial process plants, and Navy shipyards; installing reinforcing steel (rebar) in concrete construction; setting precast panels; installing ornamental ironwork; and rigging heavy machinery. Across the U.S. asbestos era, plaintiffs alleged that iron workers were exposed to airborne chrysotile asbestos every time they worked overhead beneath sprayed asbestos fireproofing on structural steel — a coating that the Iron Workers trade was uniquely proximate to during every hour of every steel-erection workday from the mid-1950s through the 1973 U.S. EPA ban.

IW members allegedly worked in direct contact with sprayed asbestos-cementitious fireproofing (W.R. Grace Monokote MK-3, U.S. Mineral Products Cafco Blaze-Shield, Asbestospray Limpet, Keasbey & Mattison Airfelt, Baldwin-Ehret-Hill Thermalux, Spraycraft, National Gypsum Audicote, CertainTeed sprayed fireproofing) — sprayed onto the structural steel WHILE iron workers were still connecting bolts and welding beams overhead. IW members also worked around asbestos-cement roofing sheet + siding (CertainTeed Transite, Johns-Manville Transite, Nicolet) they connected steel-frame buildings to, asbestos-refractory brick + castable in the steel-mill blast furnaces + BOFs + coke ovens they were erecting the structural steel for, and asbestos pipe covering + asbestos gaskets on the process piping they set beams around at refineries and power plants.

Documented ACM Product Vectors Named in IW Litigation

Products from AP defendant manufacturers that plaintiffs alleged were used, installed, or otherwise present at IW Local 25 jobsites during the asbestos era:

If You Are a Retired IW Iron Workers Local 25 Member

If you or a family member worked as a structural, ornamental, and reinforcing iron worker — including as an apprentice, journeyman, foreman, or shop supervisor — under IW Local 25 in the Detroit, MI jurisdiction during the asbestos era, and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos lung cancer, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have a legal claim.

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956