MINNEAPOLIS— Construction workers in the Twin Cities are cheering a change they say has been years in the making.
Tens of thousands of non-union workers say they face harassment, wage theft and child labor violations.
For the first time, two Twin Cities housing developers say they will join the Building Dignity and Respect Program, which is designed to include worker rights standards. The program monitors locations with non-union workers and educates workers about rights.
“The construction industry is notoriously difficult to enforce our worker protection laws, even when they are on the books,” said Minneapolis City Council President Elliot Payne. “That’s why BDR is such an important program.”
The program’s organizers are calling on other major developers to join.
“The commitment shown today by the first signatories of the BDR is monumental to the purpose of this program, and it paves the way for a better path not only for the workers, but also for their families and their communities ,” says Lisa Guerra of Centro de Trabajadores. Unidos and La Luncha.
In the past four years, at least eight criminal cases have been filed against contractors in the metro area for labor trafficking, assault and theft.
