As members of the New York City and Vicinity District Council of Carpenters (NYCDCC), we take our jobs as union carpenters very seriously. We set the standards for training, productivity, quality workmanship and workplace safety. We'll never stop fighting for working people, union and non-union alike.

Construction projects done with shoddy workmanship and materials are both a safety hazard and, particularly with respect to public works projects, are far more costly to taxpayers.

The NYCDCC and its affiliated locals insist on fair wages and benefits, safe working conditions, dignity on the job and representation at the bargaining table. We strongly object to, and will continue to challenge, employers working in the community that exploit workers by unjustly refusing to pay area-standard wages and benefits to their craftsmen and craftswomen.

This form of exploitation harms workers and their families, undermines the local economy and exacerbates social ills. So that local carpenters remain at the top of our profession, the Council invests heavily in maintaining a five-star apprenticeship program, ensuring future generations of skilled carpenters on local construction sites.

Unions Make the Difference

In today's economic climate, unions are more important than ever to improve and protect the wages, benefits, working conditions, rights, health and safety of all workers.

Because of the labor movement, millions of families have been able to live the American Dream. But now the middle class and the labor movement are under attack as never before. Greedy corporate executives and union-bashing politicians have used a "divide and conquer" strategy to pit worker against worker resulting in a race to the bottom of the economic ladder.

History has shown that unions have done more good for America's working people than any other institution in the country. Unions stand up for dignity and justice in the workplace and a more equitable distribution of wealth. Union struggles ended child labor and gave us the eight-hour workday, 40-hour workweek, vacations, paid holidays, sick leave, overtime pay, the federal minimum wage, Social Security, unemployment insurance, and occupational safety and health laws.

Independent Project Analysis reported that union workplaces are 17% more productive than nonunion and that good labor productivity reduces project costs and improves the project's schedule and quality. This can be attributed to the advanced training union workers receive, and shows that this training, worksite safety and satisfied workers who have more invested in their jobs make a big difference!

Organized labor has been the most critical force in creating the middle class, and it's our job to defend it and help it thrive and grow. As we fight to protect our livelihoods, we urge you to join us in protecting a middle class way of life so that New York can remain the greatest city in the world.

Stop Construction Sweatshops

A partnership with the New York City District Council of Carpenters to stop construction sweatshops by assuring quality workmanship and adherence to area work standards is a win-win situation for workers, taxpayers and public safety.

When carpenters go to work each day, they are putting their safety and even their lives on the line. According to New York Committee for Occupational Safety & Health (NYCOSH), 22 percent or more than one in five of all fatal job-related injuries in the U.S. are in the construction industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that there were 2,583 construction workplace fatalities in the years 2008 through 2010. The importance of unions in the construction industry is highlighted by a 2011 report on the industry by the University of Michigan's Institute for Research on Labor, Employment, and the Economy, that stated, "higher levels of unionization equate with lower fatality rates."

Consumer watchdog Public Citizen pointed out in its report, "Contract Killers: Government Agencies Award Taxpayer Dollars to Contractors That Disregard Worker Health and Safety," that 230,000 cases of serious, non-fatal injuries were reported by construction companies to the federal government in 2010. This represents just the tip of the iceberg because many injuries go unreported.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has never had enough power to truly punish developers and contractors who neglect the safety of their workers, according to Pubic Citizen. Construction workers relying on OSHA to protect them are often putting their lives on the line with little to protect them.

Most of these serious injuries and deaths are avoidable and unions in the building and construction industry work hard to assure safety on the job. That's why in the construction industry, job-related injury rates and fatalities are lowest among union workers.

Members of the New York City District of Council of Carpenters not only have the best training in the country, but also know that they have a union that always puts their safety and health, and that of the public, first!

LEARN MORE ABOUT
The NYC District Council of Carpenters
www.nycdistrictcouncil.com