Thousands of tradesmen and tradeswomen recently rallied in New York against campaigns that are halting development and stifling tens of thousands of union careers here. The New York City Building Trades says about the forces allied against unions, "We must continue to push back against these groups for the sake of hardworking NYers and their families."
Regular visitors to this web site have surely noticed the persistent 2-question survey at the bottom of all our recent articles. The survey is trying to gauge whether we’re moving the needle on the issue of union construction vs. non-union. We ask if our content has swayed you, and then we ask if you’re acting on that persuasion by focusing on union-built buildings when you shop real estate here.
We’ve received hundreds of replies and many emails. Your answers to our questions have been very eye-opening.
Absolutely!
Question 1: Have our stories convinced you that you should look for union-built property when considering real estate in NYC? The four answer choices were: 1. Absolutely!; 2. Definitely has swayed me.; 3. I need to learn more.; and 4. Nah, union or non-union, no diff.
Overwhelmingly you said, “Absolutely!” More than 90% of you confirmed that our content has convinced you that union-built means better-built. Most of the remaining votes fell in the “Definitely has swayed me” category. Data crunchers call that a “Top-2 Box” consensus, meaning, “No argument, case closed.”
This conclusion was no surprise to us here at Union-Built Matters, because we are confident in New York City’s long love and respect for unions. Every reputable poll on New Yorker’s opinions about unions confirms this admiration. In 2022 Gallup put national support of unions over 70%. And this year a poll by the US Bureau of Labor Relations said that 34% of Americans think labor unions will become stronger, 43% said they would like to see labor unions in the United States have more influence, and majority believe that labor unions help their members (77%) and the U.S. economy in general (61%).
One of our poll respondents summed it up in an email. He said, “New Yorkers know that unions built this city. Everything we love about New York: its diversity, its commitment to quality, its strength and intelligence. These are all UNION qualities and these are the reasons this is a UNION town.”
Absolutely, indeed.
“[Unions] should have all the cement work in New York. It’s really a crime that we don’t.”
Another Top-2 Box Confirmation
Question 2: Have you actually shopped for NYC real estate and focused on union-built properties as a result of our content? The four answer choices were: 1. Yes. And thanks for the direction!; 2. I've prioritized union-built.; 3. It's a lot to think about.; and 4. No.
Obviously, this question received fewer votes overall because the number of people actually shopping for real estate here is a subset of the general public. Still, of the people who did complete question two, the top two boxes achieved more than 90% of the tally combined.
A poll respondent added in an email to us, “After learning from you about the differences between union and non-union builders, there is no way I will ever live in a building made by non-union. That goes for my family too.”
But Non-Union is Thriving
And this is where the truth bangs up hard against our wishes. Though we obviously want more union-built buildings in our city, the fact is that non-union contractors continue to take more of the construction business here. As a result, more workers are being abused, stolen from, put in unnecessarily risky work situations, getting injured, and dying. More buildings are being constructed under less-than-ideal conditions and by less-experienced people. None of this can be good for New York.
"It’s a Crime"
One union member Danny Beyers of Local 20 cement and concrete workers summed up the situation perfectly when he told Union-Built Matters, “All we want to do is good work for fair pay. I’m a union guy. I’ve been trained by the union. I am continually upgrading that training at the training hall. I’m there with my union brothers and sisters, and we’re here together on the job too. When we get a job to do, we’re gonna do it the right way. No cutting corners. No safety violations. This is the best crew you’re gonna get in New York. The most trained. The most experienced. The very best.”
He concluded, “We should have all the cement work in New York. It’s really a crime that we don’t.”
How Are We Doing?
We need to know if we're changing the way you think about New York City construction.