Vallas Snags Ironworkers Union Endorsement

(Chicago) – Chicago mayoral hopeful Paul Vallas has added the ironworkers union to his roster of organized labor endorsements.

The Ironworkers District Council of Chicago formally announced on Monday its backing of Vallas over Cook County Commission Branden Johnson in the April 4 run-off election.

“The next mayor of our great city must prioritize putting Chicagoans from all neighborhoods to work, maintaining and investing in new infrastructure for all neighborhoods, and we believe Paul Vallas can do that job,” said Ironworkers District Council of Chicago President Jim Gardiner. “Ironworkers have helped build virtually every major building throughout Chicago from Chicago’s downtown skyline, to buildings in every neighborhood, to the bridges along the Chicago River, and ironworkers are ready to move Chicago forward, building our future, with a Vallas Administration.”

The union’s district council, whose ironworker members famously sat atop a sky scrapper’s steel skeleton in an iconic 1930s photo, eating lunch, legs dangling, on a beam, that gave them the nickname, ‘Cowboys of the Sky’, has 9 local unions, which includes three locals representing Chicago workers.

Of the Chicago locals, Local 1, led by longtime Business Manager Craig "Beaver" Satalic, is one of the larger, older ironworker locals in the country and recreated the iconic Depression-era photo of ironworkers lunching from a steel beam. Local 63, piloted by Business Manager Paul Wende, is responsible for Grant Park’s star attraction, “The Bean.” Local 136, steered by Business Manager Rob Fulton, the Riggers Local 136 has moved everything from the Zephyr Train to the U-505 Submarine located at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry.

The ironworker’s endorsement of Vallas comes on the heels of a new poll showing Vallas edging Johnson in final round, 44.9% to 39.1% with 16% undecided.

davidormsby@davidormsby.com