Twin Cities housing developers join program to protect non-union construction workers
MINNEAPOLIS — Two Twin Cities housing developers are taking a step to protect non-union construction workers, as they become the first to commit to a worker-created program.
Alliance Housing and Hope Community pledged Wednesday to participate in the Building Dignity and Respect Program, designed by Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha.
The program is designed to protect non-union construction workers from workplace malpractice, wage theft, harassment, and child labor violations. CTUL estimates there to be tens of thousands of non-union workers in the Twin Cities.
Hope Community, a non-profit, spoke during an event Wednesday morning about the importance of their commitment.
"Margins are tight, costs are always going up, there's never quite enough money to get our projects done, it's always, how do we figure out how to reign in costs?" said Will Delaney of Hope Community. "One thing we know at hope, is we can't cut corners when it comes to worker rights, worker dignity, worker pay."
Wednesday's announcement was championed by several Minneapolis city council members, including council president Elliot Payne.
"The construction industry is notoriously hard to enforce our worker protection laws – even when they're on the books. That's why BDR is such an important program," Payne said.
CTUL then called on larger developers in the Twin Cities to follow suit in joining the program.
In a statement to WCCO News, a United Properties representative said the company is "firmly committed" to adhering to the highest ethical standards in the pursuit of its work, adding they've met with CTUL representatives.
