Construction Jobs Crisis Worsens Heading into Holidays (1.6 million 18.8 percent)

http://www.liunabuildsamerica.org/news/story/686

12/3/10 LIUNA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For Information: David Miller at (202) 942-2285, (202) 413-1775 or davidmiller@liuna.org

Construction Jobs Crisis Worsens Heading into Holidays

Washington, D.C. – Entering the holiday season, unemployed construction workers find themselves in desperate times. According to the latest U.S. Department of Labor data, the industry shed another 5,000 jobs in November, with overall jobs at their lowest number since March. With nearly 1.6 million men and women unable to find work, construction unemployment rose to 18.8 percent.

Terry O’Sullivan, General President of LIUNA, made the following statement:

As 2010 draws to a close, the men and women who build America are facing a worsening jobs crisis. While workers are losing their paychecks, their homes and their hope, an emergency extension of unemployment benefits is being held hostage in Washington by debate over how long – not whether – to extend tax breaks for the wealthy.

This is shameful. It is the result of the same weak-willed behavior that has allowed our country’s pressing needs, such roads and bridges, water resources and school facilities to deteriorate – foregoing the opportunity to put men and women back to work.

Our leaders need to focus on creating jobs, and the best way to do that is to pass a fully-funded, six-year Surface Transportation Bill. Just this one piece of legislation could create 8 million good jobs over four years, get our economy moving and leave behind real assets for taxpayers and future generations.

###

The half-million members of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – are on the forefront of the construction industry, a powerhouse of workers who are proud to build America.

I was off for 21 mos starting in 2008. I worked 25 weeks this year. I was lucky. Now I am at the bottom of a list of 2400 and counting. My dad survived the early 80's but this is much worse.
I considered walking away, after 20 yrs, but really there is no where to walk.
With the benefits I receive from my Union I did survive.

I worked pretty steadily through the summer of '08, but then the bottom fell out. I hardly got anything in '09. Something like 150-160 hours (down from a high of about 1,600 in '06). I took a temporary break this year to do the Census - did that ever come along at the right time! and I got over 8 months out of them. I kept my union card throughout, of course. After the Census was done I went back to see what there was to build. So far nothing. But I am moving up the out of work list slowly but surely. I'm now three weeks from having a grand total of 0 construction hours this year. Maybe next year will be better. Solidarity forever!