ABC issues “Union Watch Alert” about union task force proposal for Charlotte

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build a better south
Organized labour's Build a Better South report

The Associated Builders and Contractors of the Carolinas (ABC) has issued a Union Watch Alert on efforts by the AFL-CIO and the IBEW to pressure the Charlotte city council to establish a task force to study construction workers’ conditions.

On July 26, the two groups held a press conference at Charlotte City Government Center to urge the council to adopt union-friendly requirements and label merit shop contractors as unsafe, low paying and providing no worker benefits referencing a report called ‘Building a Better South’.

ABC Carolinas has responded to the claims of the AFL-CIO and the IBEW.

“The unions are in continual decline and are looking to expand their market share, not better the industry,” said president and CEO Doug Carlson. “The South continues to grow and build safely and on merit.”

“With the recent push by the AFL-CIO and the IBEW, ABC is reminding members to be ever vigilant in dealing with union organizing with tools like the ABC Pocket Guide to Union Organizing and a Rapid Response Toolkit to Union Organizing to help construction industry employers deal with the most common questions and issues related to union organizing,” the ABC Carolinas statement said.

Video: Construction workers and labor advocates gathered outside the Government Center. They asked Charlotte City Council to require developers to disclose their contractor’s employment practices as part of future rezoning petitions. Jeff Siner The Charlotte Observer

1 COMMENT

  1. We need no stinking Union in the South.. All its good for is driving up the cost of construction with no benefit. I have built in union controlled states and I see no difference in quality, or safety. Mostly what I experienced as a commercial project manager building large restaurants in the north east was union district directors touting the benefits of my using Union shops. I would have to negotiate with these directors to insure a healthy % of the project spend went towards Union shops in order to keep a large rat from being set up out side the projects.. My opinion is that big union is basically a legal means of extortion on developers.. I have managed and built in the commercial industry for over 30 years and by my view I did not see anything on site that would convince me that Union participation improves quality of production or safety.. Trust me we do not need another level of regulation taxing or creating burdens with regard to Union Compliance with in our region. we are already over burdened by federal, state and local codes along with OSHA all with a hand out looking for a cut %$ of each build. I have seen first hand how local jurisdictions milk revenue out of the hands of all involved in a development. Most especially if the development is for a blue chip national client.. If the municipalities believe that a project can afford it they dig deep for any reason to charge crazy fees.. its plain extortion.. So please ramp up the defense and squash any thing Union related.

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