See video from theUptake.org below, "Workers Kept in the Dark Working on the Target Center Roof"

The rally highlighted numerous serious allegations filed against Fridley-based Stock Roofing, a subsidiary of Tecta America Corp., for failing to pay workers proper prevailing wages and exposing them to unsafe working conditions while redoing Target Center's roof in a publicly funded project approved by the Minneapolis City Council.

In mid-April, workers alerted officials at Local 96 that they had been working on Target Center's "green" roof project with virtually no light and without the proper safety harnessing. In addition, Stock Roofing has been shorting these nonunion workers up to $20 per hour by dodging prevailing wage requirements for this type of publicly funded project.

"Underfunded projects are putting workers at risk," said Local 96 Business Manager Rob Snider. "It's a disgrace that economic times are so tough that Minneapolis allows contractors to reduce costs by dangerously cutting corners. These greedy business tactics have exploited workers and put them in harm's way."

According to sworn affidavits from the workers and the charge filed with the National Labor Relations Board,
Stock Roofing:

1. Laid-off, demoted or threatened to fire workers who complained about safety conditions.
2. Shorted workers up to $20 per hour.
3. Classified and paid workers as landscapers, but instead had them performing roofing work.
4. Forced workers to start at 11 p.m., providing virtually no light while working in the pitch dark.
5. Offered no masks to protect workers from potentially hazardous dust.
6. Failed to provide proper safety harnessing.

Many of the workers are immigrants who say they've been threatened with firing if they complain about poor
working conditions.

"With such a bad economy, especially in the construction industry, we have nowhere else to go," said Celso
Alvarado, a foreman of five years who was demoted for alerting officials of Stock's safety violations. "We need
these jobs to keep a roof over our heads and feed our families.

"Enough was enough, though. I was afraid one of us was going to get hurt or killed. I had to let someone know
how Stock Roofing was treating us."

About the Target Center roofing project

In December 2008, the Minneapolis City Council approved funding for a new "green" roof at Target Center, a
publicly owned entertainment venue downtown. Stock Roofing won the project with a $5.3 million bid, more
than $1 million less than the other bidders. Work began in mid-March 2009, with a crew of at least a dozen
people working every night tearing off the old roof in near pitch-black conditions. Following complaints in
April, work was rescheduled for daylight hours, but few other safety and prevailing-wage concerns have been
addressed.

About Local 96

The Roofers and Waterproofers Local 96 is a labor union 1,100 members strong serving Minnesota and
western Wisconsin. For a copy of the NLRB complaint or to read the workers' sworn statements describing
the dangerous and exploitive conditions, visit the Roofers and Waterproofers' website at
www.rooferslocal96.com.

Reprinted from a press release from Roofers and Waterproofers Local 96.

Video used with permission from theUptake.org