Two housing developers have committed to sign into a groundbreaking program that could fundamentally shift conditions for workers in the non-union construction industry. This morning, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha (CTUL) held a press conference with Alliance Housing and Hope Community to celebrate the two affordable housing developers’ commitment to join the Building Dignity and Respect (BDR) Program. 

For more information on the program, see our 2019 report, “Building Dignity and Respect: The Case for Worker-driven Social Responsibility in the Twin Cities Construction Industry“.

Minneapolis City Council President Elliott Payne, representatives of Hope Community and Alliance Housing, and other labor and community allies, including the Building Trades, gathered to celebrate the historic moment. The celebratory event began with testimony from workers about conditions in the industry and why they have been calling on developers to join the BDR program.

Daniel Sanchez, a construction worker and member of CTUL, shared his experience and his hope for a better future, saying, “I am not the only one who went through moments like this. We have suffered verbal, psychological and, in some cases, physical abuse. But with the Building Dignity and Respect program, we have the opportunity to put an end to these abuses and create a different reality for all workers.” 

Previous studies have captured the rampant wage theft in the industry that impacts one in four workers, the widespread misclassification and payroll fraud, dangerous working conditions, and a pattern of criminal activity. In the past four years, at least eight criminal cases have been filed against contractors working in the Twin Cities metro, including cases of labor trafficking, sexual assault, and theft by swindle.

“Workers have been inviting developers to join the BDR program because they have the power to ensure workers’ rights are respected on the job site just like they ensure the quality of their

buildings,” said Douglas Guerra, a construction worker and member at CTUL who has experienced wage theft and misclassification many times in the industry.

Alliance Housing and Hope Community are leading Minneapolis affordable housing developers  and together have developed hundreds of units throughout the City.

“As mission-driven developers, we share workers’ vision of an industry in which all workers’ rights are protected,” said Will Delaney, Executive Director of Hope Community, Inc. “We are grateful for the work that’s been done by workers and their allies to bring a uniquely effective model of compliance monitoring to Minneapolis’s construction industry and look forward to working with the BDR program’s independent monitor, the Building Dignity and Respect Standards Council (BDC) to ensure that all workers’ rights are respected on our projects. We are thrilled to be part of this important step in addressing the crisis in construction.” 

“No development in Minneapolis should happen at the expense of workers. This first set of commitments from developers marks a victory for the workers who have been tirelessly bringing to light to the unlawful and inhumane conditions they endure at work,” said Minneapolis City Council President Elliott Payne. “I hope other developers see the unique opportunity they have here to work with the Building Dignity and Respect Standards Council.” 

The BDR program includes standards for fundamental legal rights at work and establishes an independent monitoring system, the Building Dignity and Respect Standards Council, to support compliance and ensure enforcement. Based on the Worker-driven Social Responsibility (WSR) model, the program includes a holistic combination of worker education, a complaint hotline and comprehensive independent monitoring. This model has proven effective at eradicating abuse in complex industries like U.S. agriculture and the international garment industry, and has gained recognition from the U.S. DOL and other major institutions as a powerful new paradigm for protecting workers’ fundamental human rights. 

“We are excited to work with these two developers to begin implementing the program,” said Doug Mork, Executive Director of BDC. “We are delighted to be building a community of workers, developers, and contractors that is based on mutual trust, respect, and accountability.” 

Merle Payne, CTUL’s Executive Director, made a call to for-profit developers United Properties, Solhem, Yellow Tree, and Roers, to be a part of the solution: “As prominent multi-family developers in the Twin Cities metro area, you can set the tone for how development happens here. We invite each of you to make this same commitment to the workers who build your projects and prevent abuse on your job sites. This is a unique opportunity to be leaders in shifting a long history of abuse in the industry.”

For more information about the campaign, please visit https://ctul.net. For information about the Building Dignity and Respect Program, visit https://www.buildingdignityandrespect.org.