IBEW Members Get an Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Golden Gate Opportunity

When faced with the majesty of the Golden Gate Bridge, the average tourist or motorist may not see much beyond a world-famous structure that connects the city of San Francisco to Marin County and other counties to the north.

But IBEW members recognize the bridge not just as an architectural marvel, but as a tribute to the power and ingenuity of union labor which built and maintain the landmark. The Golden Gate Bridge Highway & Transportation District, after all, is made up of 27 bargaining units.

“We have a very large staff of tradespeople whose job it is day in and day out to maintain the bridge, and all of our structures and vehicles,” says Sabrina Hernandez, a Local 6 business representative and a member of the Bridge District’s Board of Directors since 2015. “And those folks are all fully unionized.”

During the recent 2026 California Democratic Convention earlier this year, Hernandez joined a group of IBEW delegates from across the state on a unique visit to the Golden Gate Bridge. A special tour, conducted by General Manager Denis Mulligan, took the delegates over and under the bridge, providing access that the members of general public will never experience. The access was so exclusive, in fact, that attendees were not allowed to post photographs.  

“A bunch of electricians climbing onto the structure, up and down the metal stairs that are usually used exclusively by the maintenance staff and getting up close and personal with an icon,” said Hernandez, one of two union members on the board of the Golden Gate Bridge District. “It was great!”

“It was amazing to see the shadows of the cars driving over you when you’re looking up,” agreed Cristina Marquez, environmental organizer with Local 569 in San Diego who took the tour. “It was really surreal hearing the ker-plunk, ker-plunk, ker-plunk as the cars are driving over, and then be able to go down the stairs, look down and see the colors and the water down below you. Then you look up and you see the actual bridge above you. It was pretty cool.”

Construction of the bridge took more than four years from the extending of the Fort Baker Pier in December of 1932 to the completion of the roadway in April of 1937. The project helped establish new safety standards including being one of the first uses of Bullard hard hats, respirator masks for the riveters, safety lines and the construction of a safety net suspended under the floor of the bridge.

The Bridge District is entering the final phase of a massive seismic retrofit construction project designed to strengthen the bridge to withstand earthquakes or other strong motions. According to Hernandez, the entire process has included massive amounts of electrical work including redoing structures under the bridge, making sure power was available to the workers and supplying power to the maintenance platforms under the rail systems that give workers key access.

As stunning as the views often are, workers who maintain the Golden Gate Bridge have an important job to do, often in the midst of strong winds and rapidly changing weather conditions. “I really respect our work force who, whatever the weather, do their responsibilities safely and with the skills they have to make sure they and all the people who they are working for are safe,” Hernandez said. “It’s all in the interest of making sure that the bridge stays in good repair and is there for everyone to enjoy.”