Respect on the Job

Residential construction workers deserve respect on the job but too often they are at the mercy of employers who are more interested in profits than safety and standards. Unions can help keep members safer by empowering workers with the ability to speak out about workplace hazards, and by providing training that helps workers recognize potential hazards.

Joining together in a union also helps neutralize pay discrimination. The most recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that union construction workers who are women enjoy a 70 percent pay advantage.

Hispanics enjoy a 64 percent pay advantage, and for all other minorities the advantage is 42 percent.