The Way We Build: Restoring Dignity to Construction Work

The construction trades used to offer a path to the middle class, but union strength has declined, leading to lower compensation and more hazardous conditions. Revitalization of the industry depends on unions shedding past discriminatory practices, embracing organizing, diversity, and the new immigrant workforce, and preparing for technological changes. Mark Erlich's book provides an overview of the industry's past and present and explores roads to the future.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 144 pages
Publication date: 18 July 2023
Publisher: University of Illinois Press

The construction trades once offered a pathway to the middle class and a sense of pride and dignity that was often denied to other blue-collar workers. Today, union members still earn wages and benefits that compare favorably to those of college graduates. However, as union strength has declined over the last fifty years, a growing non-union sector has emerged, offering lower compensation and more hazardous working conditions. This has undermined the earlier tradition of upward mobility in the industry.

Revitalization of the construction trades depends on unions shedding past racial and gender discriminatory practices, embracing organizing, diversity, and the new immigrant workforce, and preparing for technological changes. To achieve this, the industry must focus on attracting and retaining young workers, providing training and education opportunities, and promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Mark Erlich's book "The Last Trades: The Decline of the American Building Trades and the Future of Construction" provides a comprehensive and insightful account of the construction trades' past and present. Erlich blends long-view history with his personal experience inside the building trades to offer a much-needed overview of the industry. He explores the dynamics of the industry, the backdrop of union policies, and powerful stories of everyday life inside the trades.

Through his book, Erlich provides a roadmap for the future of the construction trades. He suggests that the industry must focus on innovation, sustainability, and worker safety to remain competitive. He also advocates for policies that support unionization, such as collective bargaining and worker protections.

In conclusion, the construction trades have a rich history and a bright future. By embracing diversity, innovation, and worker safety, the industry can continue to provide a pathway to the middle class and a sense of pride and dignity for its members. Mark Erlich's book "The Last Trades" provides a valuable contribution to understanding the industry and its challenges, and offers a roadmap for revitalization.

Dimension: 229 x 152 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780252087332