Better Jobs

Good jobs are those that support families, provide benefits, opportunities for advancement and the chance to retire with dignity and security. Good jobs and union membership go hand in hand. Union construction workers earn more, have better benefits and have training opportunities not available to non-union workers.

There are about 4.8 million residential construction workers in the country, the vast majority of whom lack the power to bargain with contractors or homebuilders. Many of these workers are recent Latino immigrants and are routinely subjected to poor working conditions, lack affordable health insurance, and must face unsafe workplaces and discrimination. Workers are also frequently cheated of their wages and proper overtime resulting in a workforce that is barely able to make a living. Workers who complain are routinely fired.

Most construction workers are employees of specific contractors, not the multi-billion dollar corporate homebuilders who control the industry. These corporate builders are the Wal-Marts of the housing industry and hold the real power in residential construction – setting prices, schedules, and standards. These multi-billion dollar companies are ultimately accountable for the practices of the subcontractors that help build their houses. Homebuilders, in effect, often encourage the abuse of workers by demanding low bids from subcontractors while turning a blind eye to the mistreatment of workers.