New Leadership for Portland Ironworkeers

As a result of the Local 29 elections in December, as of January 1, Jason Fussell became the Business Manger of the Portland based local of the Ironworkers Union. It is the Business Manager who is responsible for the overall operation of the local, established in Portland in 1901. It represents some 1,500 workers in Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Following his first meeting of Local 29 as its Business manager, Fussell said, “With the upward trend in northwest construction, its our goal to get the message out to the new generation of workers on how they can turn their education into careers.” Fussell continued, “The trend of the last decade has been for many, go to college and then face a big debt obligation or go to a job after high school and have little hope of doing much better than minimum wages. The Ironworkers, and the rest of the union building trades, can offer a lot better than that.”

Fussell added, “I will work with our members to build the strength of our union, keeping up the high professional standards in our scope of work. We will also build relationships with our contractors, providing them with the most reliable and skilled workforce in the construction industry.”

Jason has been a member of Local 29 since 1998. Starting, like all ironworkers, as an apprentice, in four years earned journeyman status and then his career included General Foreman and Superintendent. The next “job” was Apprenticeship Instructor in 2009 and was promoted to Apprenticeship Coordinator in 2015.

Under Jason’s leadership, the Local 29 Apprenticeship Program received recognition for exceeding the “Key Performance Indicators,” a rare honor from the International Iron Workers Union.

Not forgetting that Local 29 is a member of the labor community, Fussell added, “With the recent surge in Oregon workers organizing, it’s a good time to be in the labor movement and leading Local 29 in support of the workers demanding livable wages and dignity at their work places.”