Ironworkers Locals 846 & 847 are regional reinforcing specialty locals chartered in February 2004 with jurisdiction in 24 states. The locals currently have over 1000 active members and more than 67 signatory contractors throughout the United States.

“The concept of Local 846 was conceived after General President Joseph Hunt met with a non-union rebar installer that was performing work all over the country. The contractor’s assessment was the Ironworkers were completely out of the reinforcing market in all of the 19 states he was currently working in. President Hunt directed Executive Director of Organizing Bernie Evers to find out through extensive research if this was an accurate statement. The research results were startling. The union had fewer than 197 members employed in all nineteen states. Recognizing the need for a drastic change in the way we were doing business or face extinction, President Hunt ordered the creation of Local 846” (Robertson 287).