Despite a shift in federal government that has left it less friendly to labor unions than the previous administration, the mood at the annual conference of the Ironworkers union and its signatory contractors, held in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 24-26, was upbeat. Major topics included a new mental health and suicide prevention website … and mass timber. …mass timber’s popularity as a sustainable and viable option globally has soared in recent years, due to greater availability of cross-laminated timber (CLT), along with changes to the International Code Council’s standards allowing CLT to be used for taller multistory buildings. Nick Milestone, senior vice president at Mercer Mass Timber, said these factors have contributed to a market expected to grow exponentially in the coming decades. “A great opportunity” for ironworkers, he said. Brandon Brooks, program manager at WoodWorks… said rather than taking away jobs, mass timber projects could provide opportunities.