MN AG Ellison, Mpls Mayor Frey, St. Paul Mayor Carter, together with more than 30 state and local elected officials sign letter calling on Solhem, Yellow Tree, and United Properties to join the Building Dignity and Respect (BDR) Program
News Coverage of the day:
- “3 Minnesota housing developers accused of using contractors with bad labor practices,” WCCO CBS News, Pauleen Le, September 11, 2023
- “Frey, Ellison join worker groups, call for safer conditions at nonunion construction sites,” Star Tribune, Burl Gilyard, September 11, 2023
- “Officials look to crack down on labor law violations in Minneapolis,” WCCO Radio, Al Schoch, September 11, 2023
We began the morning outside of Minneapolis City Hall, where we debuted “Building a Future Together without Exploitation”, a public art exhibit highlighting conditions faced by non-union construction workers in the Twin Cities.
Workers led elected officials through the exhibit, talking about the conditions they face day to day and the need for a systemic solution through the Building Dignity and Respect Program.
We then went inside Minneapolis City Hall, where elected officials announced that they had signed a letter calling on Solhem, Yellow Tree and United Properties to join the Building Dignity and Respect Program. Check out the full letter here.
Pedro Carbajal, a CTUL leader who has been a painter for 9 years, spoke at the press conference on the financial difficulties his family faced after his wages were stolen. “The quality of life for our families depends on those wages coming in. We aren’t planning to buy fancy things. We have to plan how to pay the rent, how to pay the bills, how to take care of our families. Many of my coworkers have also experienced this situation. And that’s why we’re here with elected officials calling on developers to join BDR.
MN Attorney General Keith Ellison spoke powerfully about the need for developers to take responsibility for the conditions that workers face on their projects.
Building Trade Unions came out to support the call for developers to join BDR – Dan McConnell of the Minneapolis Building Trades pictured above; and Woodrow Piner of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America pictured below.
“The Building Dignity and Respect pledge is a set of common sense principles for well-managed construction companies. Having a safe job site and paying your workers the wages they’re owed is just good business,” said Minneapolis Council Member Elliott Payne. “Unfortunately, we often find bad actors operating in our city who have inadequate safety measures in place, misclassify workers, steal wages, or worse. BDR provides an opportunity for developers and contractors who are committed to the principles of safety, fair wages, and worker dignity to raise their hand and show our community where they stand.”
Minneapolis Council Member Michael Rainville spoke in support of the BDR Campaign. Rainville represents Ward 3 of Minneapolis, where an estimated 20-25% of all housing units are built in the Twin Cities metro area each year.
“Minneapolis is leading the nation when it comes to our affordable housing production, and this work wouldn’t happen without those who help build these units from the ground up,” said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. “We stand with our construction workers and recognize the importance of having good-paying jobs and safe working conditions, union or not. The Building Dignity and Respect Program will play a critical role in transforming labor standards across the Twin Cities – and we’re incredibly proud to support them in this work.”
Join us tomorrow as we step out of City Hall and into the streets:
“Nothing Gets Built Without These Hands: March for Dignity and Respect”
September 12, 4:00 – 6:00pm
1306 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN
