Did you know that Dallas iron workers are being abused and neglected on the job?  Hearing their stories of lack of adequate water, verbal abuse, and being forced (against OSHA standards) to buy their own safety equipment was sobering and motivating.  Learning that they were not treated when injured on the job, that they worked in fear of falling due to unstable scaffolding and that little safety training was offered…well, that left us feeling angry.

We are members of the North Texas Jobs with Justice Workers’ Rights Board.  The Board is composed of concerned community leaders, including clergy, social workers, academics, labor organizers, teachers, students and lawyers.  Workers’ Rights Boards review worker complaints and conduct hearings, giving employers the chance to respond.  Boards, like the one in Dallas, can act as mediators between employees with unresolved grievances and employers who may be too focused on their company’s profit margin. 

Last fall, we were alerted to the struggle of workers employed by Great Western Erectors. Great Western Erectors (GWE) is based in Dallas and is one of the largest rebar and concrete reinforcing contractors in the nation. Our Workers’ Rights Board assembled to hear testimony of workers and to begin the

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