From 2022 to 2024 I worked on a 45-story high-rise construction project in Bellevue, WA, focusing on the ironworkers of Local 86. These union workers install the building’s structural steel, one of the most dangerous trades in the industry. Daily, they maneuver several hundred tons of steel overhead, working at great heights with only a single tie-off point for safety. Despite modern safety standards, their work echoes a bygone era, requiring incredible skill and bravery.