Current Articles

BCTD President Calls on Congress to Address Construction Worker Safety

John See — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:39:52 -0400

BCTD President Mark Ayers urged federal lawmakers to initiate steps towards the establishment of a Construction Safety and Health office with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Bricklayer takes helm at Minneapolis Building Trades

John See — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:39:41 -0400

Mike Hawthorne will be the new business manager for the Minneapolis Building and Construction Trades Council, effective July 1, following the resignation of David Ybarra II. Hawthorne is a 25-year member of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1 Minnesota/North Dakota. Ybarra announced his resignation after winning election June 10 as business manager of Sprinkler Fitters Local 417.

Carpenters needed on "Homes for Our Troops" project

John See — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:34:16 -0400

SGT Marcus Kuboy joined the Minnesota National Guard 3 years ago and since joining has been on active duty for most of that time. In March, 2007, Marcus was wounded in a humvee explosion while serving in Iraq. Now, the Homes for Our Troops program, in conjunction with Minnesota Building Trades unions and Reiling Construction, is building SGT Kuboy a house in Woodbury. Carpenters are needed during the weekend of June 27-29 for the framing, roofing, and windows installation.

Commentary: Prevailing wage benefits workers, contractors and taxpayers

John See — Tue, 20 May 2008 12:32:50 -0400

It is a policy that places value on a highly skilled and productive workforce. It is a policy that promotes safe, high-quality construction projects. It is a policy that promotes the use of local contractors and local workers. Prevailing Wage does all this while making sure the state doesn't pay more than the typical rate on construction projects. By Dick Anfang and Gary Thaden

New Report Shows Workers Who Earn Less Get Boost from Union Membership

John See — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:05:53 -0400

Being a union member significantly augments wages for lower-paid workers, a study released by the Center for Economic and Policy Research shows. Union membership boosted the wages of workers on the bottom rung of the wage ladder (in the 10th percentile) by 20.6 percent, from 2003 to 2007. For a worker at the 20th percentile, whose earnings were exceeded by the top 80 percent, the boost from being a union member was 18.9 percent, and for the typical worker at the 30th percentile, it was 16.8 percent.

Every $1 Billion Spent on Rebuilding Infrastructure Creates 42,000 Jobs

John See — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:27:03 -0400

Too often, the only time lawmakers think seriously about rebuilding our nation's aging and crumbling infrastructure is after a disaster like the collapse of a bridge in Minneapolis or the destruction of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Then a few months later, the issue is pushed back to make way for less-expensive priorities.

Construction workers honor the fallen on Workers Memorial Day

John See — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:58:15 -0400

With the cold, swollen Mississippi beside them and the twisted metal fragments of the 35W bridge behind them, Building Trades members on Monday honored 10 members who died on the job in the past year or from job-related illnesses.

New AFL-CIO Death on the Job Report Shows U.S. Workplaces Are Increasingly Unsafe

John See — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:18:23 -0400

The nation's workplace safety laws and penalties are too weak to effectively protect workers, according to the AFL-CIO's annual Death on the Job report, which will be released on Thursday, April 24. The report identifies how many people lost their lives and were injured at workplaces in the past year and provides in-depth state analysis on workplace safety.

Conference focuses on the 'crisis of disinvestment'

John See — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:23:20 -0400

Rising unemployment and health care costs, struggling schools and communities, broken levees and falling bridges – as the U.S. and Minnesota fail to invest in the future, the quality of life declines.

The University of Minnesota Labor Education Service is sponsoring a conference to analyze this problem – and discuss strategies for building a movement to reinvest.

Governor vetoed jobs and opportunity, labor leaders say

John See — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:38:12 -0400

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty announced line item vetoes cutting $208 million from the $925 million bonding bill passed by the state Legislature, cuts that labor leaders say also vetoed jobs and opportunity. The bonding bill authorizes the state to borrow funds for capital improvements to public infrastructure throughout the state.

Dick Anfang, president of the Minnesota State Building & Construction Trades Council, said he was "very disappointed" in the governor's announced list of line-item vetoes. "This will negatively affect Minnesota's ability to come back from the recession," he said. "This negatively affects Building Trades workers from the northern border to the southern border and the eastern border to the western border."