IW Iron Workers in Illinois

Illinois was an active state for IW Iron Workers work throughout the asbestos era (roughly 1920s through the early 1980s). Members were dispatched to power plants (Commonwealth Edison + Ameren), refineries (Marathon + Phillips), steel (US Steel Granite City + National Steel), auto (Chrysler + Ford Chicago area), chemical (BASF/Amoco Chicago-adjacent), Chicago high-rise construction — facilities where structural, ornamental, and reinforcing iron workers allegedly encountered and worked with asbestos-containing materials on a continuous basis.

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that IW members applied, removed, worked adjacent to, and disturbed chrysotile-bearing and amphibole-bearing asbestos-containing materials throughout every working day of the asbestos era. The trade carries one of the highest documented mesothelioma rates of any occupational group in federal health research.

IW Locals Covering Illinois

The following Local unions of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers (IW) organize structural, ornamental, and reinforcing iron workers in Illinois:

For the full Local history, dispatch territory, and the products members handled, see each Local’s dedicated page above.

Illinois Statute of Limitations for IW Asbestos Claims

The Illinois asbestos personal injury statute of limitations is 2 years from diagnosis under 735 ILCS 5/13-213. This deadline runs from the date of confirmed mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer diagnosis — not from the date of exposure, which may have occurred 30–50 years earlier.

IW Iron Workers who worked in Illinois during the asbestos era and have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease should consult an asbestos attorney promptly. The deadline is strict and individual.

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

Illinois Asbestos Jobsite Research

For the full catalog of Illinois facilities where structural, ornamental, and reinforcing iron workers allegedly worked — including power plants, refineries, steel mills, and major industrial sites — see the partner state research archive:

Illinois Asbestos Exposure Archive →

The state archive covers jobsite-level facility records, federal NESHAP data, and the documented defendants whose products were present at Illinois industrial sites.

For informational purposes only. Not legal advice. Statute of limitations periods should be confirmed with a licensed attorney in Illinois. © 2026 Rights Watch Media Group LLC.