We Know and We Care

We’re the Carpenters Union. We Know and We Care. Do you?

Union Carpenters picket, leaflet, banner and demonstrate in other ways to promote decent standards in the construction industry. We talk to nonunion carpenters and contractors as well as developers every day. It’s what we do. When it comes to what’s going on, We know.

We go out and try to raise awareness because we believe all carpenters should be respected, whether they belong to a union or not. We do this to support nonunion workers and educate those not in the industry, but impacted by it. We care.

We talk to people in the industry about the conditions they face. What do we often find?
--Workers are paid cash or effectively under the table, with no taxes paid.
-- Many are not paid well, or even what they’re promised. Sometimes they are not paid at all.
--Few, if any, have health care coverage or are offered retirement benefits.
--In one of the most dangerous industries, many are denied basic safety protections or legally required workers’ compensation coverage.

"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

We’re here for them. But we’re also here for you. Why should you care?
When workers don’t have health care: we all pay extra when they are sick.
When pension and retirement benefits are not offered: we all end up paying more when they are old.
When taxes are not collected: we all pay more for the fire, police, schools and roads.
When workers compensation coverage is not provided: We all pay more when workers get hurt.

We believe that consistent downward pressure on wages, health care benefits and retirement benefits is detrimental to the quality of construction by pushing talented, skilled people out of the field. To the extent that it lowers the bottom line for construction at all, it results in a shorter lifespan for a building. That means maintenance and rebuilding is more extensive and sooner.

Have you ever witnessed a wrong? Have you ever had a wrong done to you, but felt powerless to do anything about it? Did you wish there was another person or group that understood and would stand with you, speak out and say "stop this"? That’s what we’re doing. Because we know and we care, we can not look away and be silent.

Now you know. Please care. If you don’t care, at least understand why we’re here.