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WHO REPRESENTS YOU?

by Will Gray

The Labor Research Association www.laborresearch.org reported for 2004 that merit shop construction workers made an average of 52% less than union workers. That translates in real dollars to $893 weekly for union workers minus $588 for non-union workers making a difference of $305 per week.

As the gap between union and nonunion wages grows the rank and file union membership continues to decline. According to the Department of labor statistics union membership for construction, extraction, maintenance and repair occupations is less than 20%.

At it’s own peril the union leadership continues to ignore these disparities while builder associations continue to grow stronger. The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) now boast of representing 23,000 merit shop contractors in 79 chapters and wields a lot of power in government and market affairs.

While trades unions represent their rank a file and builders associations represent the merit shop contractors. Who is representing the merit shop trades worker as the race to the bottom wage level continues? The nonunion worker does not benefit from the demise of the union power or the rise in power of his employer’s associations. His wages and benefits are based more on government regulations, project labor agreements and competition from imported or lesser skilled labor than on his owns merits or anything else within his control.

Since 2004 the illegal immigrant labor pool has more than doubled as illegals move from agriculture to skilled construction trades. The government is ignoring the illegal immigration problem for various reasons. Labor unions seem oblivious to it even as it threatens their very existence, and unprincipled merit shop contractors welcome the cheap labor.

The merit shop construction worker is being attacked on every front with no-one to take up his cause. Is it time for an association to represent the merit shop construction worker"?




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