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Then it happened. As a result of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Richard came to Pittsburgh to work as a scuba instructor as part of an Air Search and Rescue Team with local law enforcement. Not thrilled about being “hosed down” after every time he came out of one of Pittsburgh’s three rivers and not overly excited about the pay, Richard was still not satisfied with what his future held.
That’s when a friend suggested he call the union hall of Ironworkers Local Union #3. Although he knew nothing about being an ironworker, Richard had the aptitude and attitude Local #3 was looking for in potential apprentices. After just one week on the job, Richard knew he had made the right decision.
Often working at high elevations, the job of an ironworker is anything but typical. It’s both physical and mentally challenging, and requires extensive training. On any given day, Richard may install or dismantle steel beams and girders, weld or fabricate a piece of steel, work on his own or be part of a team. He could work in a mill, a power house, reinforcing metal structures, installing ornamental railing and other decoratives, or assembling or disassembling cranes.
“Because we do so many different types of work, you never know what you will be doing next,” Richard explains. “I particularly like the physical and mental aspects of the job. You have to always be careful and pay attention. When you get tired, that’s when you can lose concentration, and in my profession that can be very dangerous.”
Now in his fourth year as an ironworker, Richard has already worked on such projects as Carnegie Mellon University’s Gates Center for Computer Science, UPMC Passavant, WPXI’s Broadcast Facility, Shaler Area High School, University of Pittsburgh’s Benedum Hall, Washington Hospital, as well as on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and more than a dozen bridges, among many others.
When he’s not working, Richard takes advantage of the many training opportunities available at the Local’s Training Center on Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Strip District.
“You must have proper training and education for all the skills we use, and you must continuously keep improving and learning,” he says. “Staying current with all safety training and certifications is also critical. Given the nature of the job and the heights at which we work, the importance of safety training cannot be overstated, and you can’t just be aware of safety rules, you have to practice them.”
Expecting the unexpected helps keep life interesting for Richard Goodman, just as riding his Harley does on the winding roads of Pittsburgh. Although he may never have considered becoming an ironworker while growing up in Zimbabwe, life can take some unusual turns. For Richard Goodman, the best turn was joining Local Union #3.
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Richard Goodman of Ironworkers Local Union #3 bolts up a steel beam at a job site in Peters Township.
Michael J. Huber
Laborers’ District Council of Western Pennsylvania Heavy/Highway Local Union #1058
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“When a major project is completed and my kids see everything when it’s finished, I get to say that ‘your dad’ helped build that.” That feeling of accomplishment and sense of pride is what helps keep`laborers like |
| Michael Huber of Whitehall interested in his job—that and good pay and benefits as negotiated by his union, the Laborers’ District Council of Western Pennsylvania. |
Michael became a laborer in 1991 after his job at Westinghouse as a machine operator was outsourced overseas. Like many other men and women in this region, Michael did not want to relocate and instead chose to find a new job that would be supported by a strong local union. Heavy/Highway Local Union #1058 fit the bill.
Over the past 18 years, Michael has worked on such prominent Pittsburgh area projects as the Fort Pitt Bridge Rehabilitation, the North Shore Connector, the Liberty Tunnel Interchange, the Mt. Washington Transit Tunnel and State Route 60 leading to Pittsburgh International Airport, among many others. |
