EPISODE · Jun 16, 2026 · 32 MIN
Iron Workers Local 44 on the Brent Spence Bridge Finally Breaking Ground
from America’s Work Force Union Podcast · host BMA Media Group
Twenty-nine years ago, Dave Baker was told Iron Workers Local 44 was going to build a bridge. This week, drill shaft work on the Brent Spence Bridge companion project officially began. On this episode of America's Work Force Union Podcast, Local 44 Business Manager Dave Baker discusses the decades of political and funding gridlock that stalled one of the most critical infrastructure projects in the Midwest, what finally broke the impasse and what 6 million projected building trades work hours and 1,200 peak construction jobs mean for iron workers, apprenticeship programs and the Cincinnati trades community. He also shares his own story — four years working non-union before joining Local 44 in 1997 — and what the union difference has meant for his wages, retirement and family healthcare over 30 years. Visit ironworkers44.com to learn more about Iron Workers Local 44.
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What this episode covers
Iron Workers Local 44 Business Manager Dave Baker discusses the Brent Spence Bridge companion project finally breaking ground this week after decades of funding gridlock, crediting a bipartisan Senate push and cross-aisle governor cooperation for getting it done. He describes what 6 million building trades work hours, 1,200 peak construction jobs and a more-than-doubled apprenticeship applicant pool mean for Local 44 and the Cincinnati trades community — and shares his own journey from non-union metal building work to a union career that has his retirement fully prepared.
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Iron Workers Local 44 on the Brent Spence Bridge Finally Breaking Ground
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