Louisiana Union Workers and Asbestos Exposure
Louisiana tradespeople are among the hardest workers in the country. They expect to work hard for their money and aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. However, asbestos exposure was unfortunately all too common for workers throughout the 20th century. Because of exposure, countless union workers have developed deadly asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma.
Last Updated:
- May 16, 2025
How Were Union Workers Exposed to Asbestos?
Throughout most of the 20th century, asbestos was incorporated into thousands of construction and commercial products, including pipe insulation, block insulation, insulation cement, valve packing materials, firebricks, gaskets, and spray refractory products. Trade workers were often exposed to asbestos by working with these materials and around others using asbestos-containing products at industrial and commercial job sites.
Louisiana job sites that pose the greatest risk of asbestos exposure for union workers include oil refineries, chemical plants, power generation plants, shipyards, fertilizer plants, paper mills, and commercial construction sites.
Did You Know?
Tradesmen were exposed to asbestos every day they were on the job. Please pay attention to your body and get annual checkups and chest x-rays.
High-Risk Union Trades for Asbestos Exposure
Numerous union professions were at extremely high risk for occupational asbestos exposure from the 1930s through the 1980s. At-risk occupations include boilermakers, plumbers, pipefitters, insulators, electricians, steelworkers, and ironworkers.
Learn More About Asbestos Exposure In Different Trades
Boilermakers
Boilermakers used many high-temperature thermal insulation products that include asbestos. Typically, boilermakers construct, install, and maintain power and process boilers in industrial facilities and commercial buildings throughout Louisiana. Furthermore, boiler operators oversee the boilers’ daily operation. Both types of workers can be exposed to asbestos when installing, cleaning, adjusting, or repairing the equipment.
Plumbers/Pipefitters
Plumbers and pipefitters were exposed to asbestos by working with asbestos-containing materials and around other tradespeople using asbestos-containing materials at industrial and commercial job sites. Typically, pipes at these sites were wrapped in asbestos insulation, and moving or adjusting the insulation released tiny asbestos particles into the air, where plumbers and pipefitters could inhale them. Tearing out the insulation and the reapplication by other trades further exposed pipefitters.
A Local 60 Pipefitter's Story
"I was exposed at all these places."
I was exposed to asbestos while cutting out insulation to put in the pipe because a lot of these oil refineries were constantly coming down and we had flanges to take apart. We had all sorts of pipe fitting and anytime we had to cut into a line, we knocked off the asbestos insulation.
Insulators
Insulators were the most exposed trade to asbestos. Insulators worked hands-on with asbestos-containing thermal insulation products during their application. They also often had to tear out asbestos insulation on the job. Insulators may also have been exposed while working around other tradespeople using asbestos-containing materials on industrial and commercial job sites.
Electricians
Electricians worked with asbestos-containing wire and cabling. The equipment at most industrial facilities uses electricity at very high voltages, which generates a lot of heat. Thus, the wires contained asbestos insulation. Meanwhile, electricians were also exposed to the installation and tear out of asbestos insulation by the other trades daily.
Steelworkers
Steelworkers generally faced more exposure from working around other trades utilizing asbestos in their work than from direct, hands-on exposure. Asbestos was abundant in the facilities, machinery, and equipment used to manufacture steel because it provided heat-resistant qualities to the products. Additionally, some of the protective clothing worn by steelworkers contained asbestos.
At some job sites, steel and metal workers would spray or coat metals with an asbestos finish to make them more durable and fire-resistant.
Ironworkers
Ironworkers were exposed to asbestos primarily by working around other tradespeople who used asbestos in their work, such as insulators, boilermakers, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, pipefitters, and welders. Asbestos fibers do not just affect those handling the mineral–they float in the air invisibly and can affect any trade on the job site. Still, some ironworker union welders used welding rods coated with asbestos-containing flux.
Millwrights
Even though most millwrights did not directly handle asbestos-containing products on the job, they may still have been exposed to asbestos by working around other tradespeople, like insulators, who used the toxic mineral in their work. When other tradespeople at poorly ventilated job sites disturbed asbestos-containing materials like insulation, they released asbestos fibers into the air that any worker on the site could inhale.
Welders
Welders encountered asbestos daily while working around other tradespeople who used the mineral in their work. Additionally, the high temperatures generated by welding often disturbed asbestos-containing materials, releasing asbestos fibers into the air. Poor ventilation in welding worksites made inhalation of these fibers even more likely. Additionally, some welding products, like welding rods, were previously made with an asbestos coating to protect them from extreme heat.
A Son's Story
"My dad was never warned of any type of dangers.”
My dad worked at a fertilizer plant in Convent, Louisiana. He did kind of just technical things around the plant as far as cutting pipes, pipe fittings, welding, and certain industrial things around the plant. He was never warned of any type of dangers or harmful products or chemicals or anything at the plant.
Machinists
Machinists in Louisiana were at particularly high risk of occupational asbestos exposure during the 20th century because their work involved repairing and maintaining high-temperature machinery with asbestos-containing components. Machinists worked directly with gaskets, valves, insulation, and other products that contained asbestos. Additionally, machinists worked with other tradespeople who handled asbestos-containing materials in the same work area, putting everyone in the vicinity at risk of exposure.
Construction Workers
Workers in the construction industry have one of the highest risk for asbestos exposure. For over a century, nearly every construction worker was exposed to asbestos on the job, as practically every home, commercial building, and factory in Louisiana contained asbestos materials. Although the use of the mineral has now largely been restricted, many older buildings and materials still contain asbestos. Even if construction workers didn’t handle asbestos directly, they were likely exposed simply by working around the material or near other tradespeople using asbestos-containing products.
Other Union Workers At Risk of Asbestos Exposure
Any job could put workers at risk of asbestos exposure under the right circumstances. Some other common union positions at risk for occupational exposure include the following:
- Auto Mechanics
- Carpenters
- Firefighters & First Responders
- Laborers
- Longshoremen
- Railroad Workers
Support From Local Unions in Louisiana
Local unions support workers by providing educational materials about asbestos exposure and inviting law firms like our sponsor, Baron & Budd, P.C., to speak to the membership about possible exposures and how to avoid them.
Our sponsor, Baron & Budd, P.C. is the official occupational injury counsel for the AFL-CIO of Louisiana and all local affiliates. The firm’s members have cultivated longstanding friendships and business relationships with the Local leadership and members. Some union professions with locals in Louisiana include the following:
The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers
- Local 37 – New Orleans
- Local 582 – Baton Rouge
The United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada
- Local 60 – Metairie/New Orleans
- Local 198 – Baton Rouge
The International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers
- Local 53 – Kenner
- Local 112 – Lake Charles
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
- IBEW Local 130 – Metairie
- IBEW Local 995 – Baton Rouge
- IBEW Local 861 – Lake Charles
- IBEW Local 576 – Alexandria
The United Steelworkers Union
- Steelworkers Local 13-555 – Sulphur
- Steelworkers Local 13-12 – Baton Rouge
- Steelworkers Local 8363 – Chalmette
The International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental, and Reinforcing Iron Workers Union
- Ironworkers Local 846 – Chalmette
- Ironworkers Local 623 – Baton Rouge
- Ironworkers Local 58 – New Orleans
If you have any questions, please contact the office of the AFL-CIO of Louisiana for assistance.
Compensation Available for Union Workers with Mesothelioma
Workers with mesothelioma and the families of workers who have died from the disease have options to pursue compensation for the losses they’ve suffered. They may be entitled to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation from the various asbestos trust funds.
1) Mesothelioma Lawsuits: In mesothelioma lawsuits, mesothelioma patients and the families of patients who have died from the disease can sue the various companies responsible for the asbestos exposure that caused the disease.
2) Asbestos Trust Funds: Many asbestos product manufacturers set up asbestos trust funds, which currently have approximately $30 billion combined in funds set aside for victims and their families.
Mesothelioma & lung cancer patients can receive anywhere from $500,000 to $10 million in compensation. Our sponsor, Baron & Budd, P.C., has achieved many large settlements for union workers, including the following:
$8 million
for an Insulator diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos while working in oil refineries and chemical plants throughout Louisiana.
Over $7 million
for a Pipefitter diagnosed with biphasic pleural mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos while working at many petrochemical plants along the Mississippi River.
$6.2 million
for a Boilermaker diagnosed with mesothelioma at just 52 years of age after being exposed to asbestos while working at various shipyards and plants throughout Louisiana.
$5 million
for a Laborer diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos in the 1950s and 1960s while working at a Baton Rouge chemical plant.
Results are not guaranteed and vary.
Contact Louisiana Mesothelioma Advocates
If you or a loved one was a union worker in Louisiana and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact us or your local’s business manager immediately. We will connect you with our sponsor, Baron & Budd, P.C., who can help you find the best mesothelioma doctors in Louisiana and advise you on the best route for compensation for you and your family.
Content Reviewed by
Todd Kale
Todd Kale meets with mesothelioma patients and their families across Louisiana to investigate their asbestos exposure, providing compassionate support and guidance during a difficult time.