On the second Sunday of every month, Greenpoint dad and producer James Hook hosts a meeting of the Brooklyn Ironers' Union Local 278 in the basement of The Diamond, a bar on Franklin Street. The "union" is Hook's invention: a small gathering of "journeyman-level ironers," like himself.
"It's an actual thing," Hook said on Tuesday. "We have buttons and we have patches."
Hook already has a reputation for ironing strangers' clothing—for free—inside Pete's Candy Store in Williamsburg. "I realized that there was this very mutually beneficial system whereby people who love ironing can go to a bar and do something they love," he told Gothamist. "The bar gets a good service, sometimes the bar will give [the ironer] a free beer, and the public gets their clothes ironed."
To further test his hunch, Hook and a small handful of union members will be hosting free ironing sessions on Tuesdays in January, from 9 p.m. to midnight, at different bars in Brooklyn. The ironers will be at The Diamond on January 3rd, Pete's Candy Store on the 10th, a to-be-determined bar on the 17th, Le Gamin Cafe on the 24th, and Troost on the 31st.
Tricky items like silk pleated skirts aren't a guarantee, but basic cotton shirts and pants are standard.
Hook, who also goes by "Iron Man" ("James Hook" is an ironing nom de plume as well, go figure), hopes to destigmatize ironing as a chore, he said, while making it accessible to all—not just a luxury for those with enough time and resources. "I will start in my home neighborhood, and I hope it will transition from a private chore to a public benefit," he said. "I will see how far I can take this idea."
With the union, he added, bar patrons can expect a certain level of competency. "If a bar is accepting a public ironer, they will have a basic level of skill," he promised. "You also have to have your own board, like any union [member] has the tools of the trade. You need to have a little lamp, too, because bars are dark."
Hook offered a similar month of service over the summer, but said there's something particularly comforting—and sexy—about fresh ironing in the winter.
"One of the best feelings in the world, when it's cold, is to put on clothes that are smooth and warm and fresh," he said. "It's sensual."
For an extra-sensory experience, Hook suggests bringing your own headphones and a splitter. (He often listens to music while ironing to drown out the bar music and conversation.)
"You can listen to music alone with the ironer which is a sensual pleasure," Hook said.
If you're interested in joining Hook's ranks, the next union meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on January 8th, at The Diamond at 43 Franklin Street. "Right now no dues, and everyone is welcome," Hook said. "You just have to be serious about ironing." The less ambitious can catch his tour.
