Building trades and COVID-19: adding to their safety toolbox
The Baltimore-DC Building Trades Council represents all the construction local unions in DC, Baltimore, and Northern Virginia, with over 24,000 members in 22 locals. “All the different trades on a construction site,” President/Executive Director Stephen Courtien told Union City, “‘from the hole to the top to the roof.” As of late last week, most of those folks were still on the job, Courtien said, but job safety was more of an issue than ever. “Construction is inherently dangerous,” Courtien said. “On a project, anything could happen any time.” With the COVID-19 pandemic, “we're getting a lot of members who are concerned about ‘Am I going to have a job tomorrow,’ and then secondary is ‘Okay, well how can I make sure that I'm working safe on the project?'”
The Building Trades Council and its locals “are trying to really just make sure that the members understand how to work safely on the project, like we always do, just with a new threat. Where before it was about falling or an overhead accident, things like that, now we're just really trying to enforce with them about protecting themselves with social distancing and keeping your hands washed, wearing gloves. All those things are just starting to get put into their safety toolbox.”
The Council has worked with contractors to institute more social distancing on projects, and “there has been a big push on projects where we normally wouldn't have running water, they're putting handwashing stations on site,” said Courtien. “They're also telling the workers ‘Don't share tools.’ Even though that was never really a big problem, they're just really trying to enforce this so that people don't get sick.”
- Chris Garlock
Census Day 2020
It's quick and easy. It's safe, secure, and confidential. And it’ll help direct billions of dollars in federal funds to local communities for schools, roads, and other public services. Today is Census Day, and "At a time when communities are especially strapped for resources, it’s critically important that we all participate in the Census,” said Community Services Agency Executive Director Sonte DuCote. Click here now to complete your census form online; you can also respond by phone -- 844-330-2020 -- or by mail.
Primary updates
In response to the Coronavirus outbreak, states across the country are postponing primary elections and expanding vote by mail options. The State of Maryland has moved their primary election day to June, the same date that Washington D.C. will hold its primary elections. Click here for more information: in Washington D.C. or Maryland. The Metro Washington Council and the respective COPEs will continue to keep our affiliates informed on further developments.
- David Stephen
Equal Pay Day is no joke
Even during a pandemic, women performing essential work aren’t paid equally. And that’s no April Fool’s Day joke. Women working as grocery store cashiers and physicians caring for COVID-19 patients are only being paid about 65 percent of what their male counterparts are being paid.
Yesterday was Equal Pay Day, marking how far into 2020 women have to work to catch up to what men made last year. Every year this day is recognized by the Coalition of Labor Union Women and many other partner organizations to raise awareness about the gender wage gap. “The past few weeks made it very clear,” said CLUW. “A lifetime of pay discrimination adds up, with devastating consequences for our families, communities and our nation.”
Read more here.
Today's Labor Quote: Bonnie Castillo
“If nurses are not protected and safe, more people will die, and the virus will continue to spread in greater numbers.”
Castillo is Executive Director of National Nurses United.
Today's Labor History
This week’s Labor History Today podcast: Socialists, suffragettes and fear at work
On this week’s show, Kurt Stand, who – at least until recently – was a bookseller at Busboys and Poets here in Washington, DC, tells us about his last days at work, Carl Goldman reminds us of the day in 1913 when 20,000 striking textile workers and their supporters gathered in front of the house of the socialist mayor of Haldeon, New Jersey, and Jessica Pauszek tells the story of Tough Annie, a woman of means who threw in her lot with working women in London during the struggle for women’s suffrage.
Last week’s show: COVID-19: An injury to one is the concern of all
Many believe that Cincinnati on this day became the first U.S. city to pay fire fighters a regular salary. Others say no, it was Boston, back in 1678, exact date unknown - 1853
San Francisco laundry workers strike for wage increases and an eight-hour day - 1907
Strike of cotton mill workers begins in Gastonia, NC (photo). During the strike, police raided the strikers’ tent colony; the chief of police was killed. The strike leaders were framed for murder and convicted, but later freed - 1929
400,000 members of the United Mine Workers strike for higher wages and employer contributions to the union’s health and welfare fund. President Truman seizes the mines - 1946
Major league baseball players begin what is to become a 13-day strike, ending when owners agreed to increase pension fund payments and to add salary arbitration to the collective bargaining agreement - 1972
Players begin the first strike in the 75-year history of the National Hockey League. They win major improvements in the free agency system and other areas of conflict, and end the walkout after 10 days - 1992
- David Prosten. photo: Our State
Material published in UNION CITY may be freely reproduced by any recipient; please credit Union City as the source.
Published by the Metropolitan Washington Council, an AFL-CIO "Union City" Central Labor Council whose 200 affiliated union locals represent 150,000 area union members.
Story suggestions, event announcements, campaign reports, Letters to the Editor and other material are welcome, subject to editing for clarity and space; just click on the mail icon below. You can also reach us on Facebook and Twitter by clicking on those icons.
|
