Iron Workers General President Walter Wise has appointed Steve Rank to the position of Executive Director of Safety and Health for the international union.
Rank previously served as Western Regional Director for the Ironworker Management Progressive Action Cooperative Trust (IMPACT), the union’s labor-management organization.
In a statement to ironworkers, Rank said he was honored that Wise chose him for the post, and promised to “pledge my efforts, knowledge, and experience to raise the standard for safety performance for our members. Over the past 15 years I have worked with many of you to address regulatory issues, contract safety requirements, and workplace incidents within your jurisdiction, and I appreciate this opportunity to expand my assistance to all coordinators and instructors throughout the country.”
Rank added that he would be working closely with Lee Worley, who heads up the union’s apprenticeship and national training fund, to “launch a series of new safety and health initiatives that are designed to provide [ironworkers] with information and regulatory updates to better serve our members and achieve President Wise’s commitment to ‘zero fatalities’. With the recent workplace fatalities that have been cited by President Wise, it is a solemn reminder of the physical, emotional, and financial hardships that families endure when these tragedies occur.”