Alleged rape on Wilfs’ Viking Lakes development sparks outrage, calls for change

A worker on the Viking Lakes project in Eagan came forward last week with allegations that she was raped and harassed while working for a drywall subcontractor on the troubled job site, developed by NFL owners Zygmunt, Mark and Leonard Wilf’s MV Ventures firm. Unions and worker advocacy groups decried the alleged assault and, in […]

Workers seek commitment from developers to build with ‘dignity and respect’

As allegations of wage theft continue to bubble up from the Twin Cities’ nonunion construction industry, a worker-led initiative aims to partner with developers to keep labor abuses off their job sites. After months of behind-the-scenes planning and organizing, construction workers this week publicly invited local developers to join the Building Dignity and Respect (BDR) […]

Labor trafficker’s victims speak out, pointing to need for reform

Notorious wage broker Ricardo Batres, who pleaded guilty to felony charges of labor trafficking and insurance fraud in November, received a nine-month sentence in Hennepin County district court Wednesday. The sentencing brought to a close the first labor trafficking case to emerge from Minnesota’s construction industry. But worker advocates, armed with the findings of an […]

Trafficker’s plea deal reveals construction industry ‘in distress,’ advocates say

When a notorious wage broker pleaded guilty to two felony charges in Hennepin County this week, it was welcome news for unions and community groups working to rid Minnesota’s construction industry of labor abuses. “We are grateful that the legal system is holding those who commit wage theft and illegal trafficking of construction workers seriously,” […]

Carpenters say prominent developer turns blind eye to abuse allegations

What might have been a routine redevelopment deal instead prompted members of the Roseville City Council last month to weigh their oversight responsibilities when it comes to developers reaping tax benefits from the northern suburb. During a final round of public comment on an arrangement between the city and Reuter Walton Companies, two carpenters stepped […]

Twin Cities workers launch campaign to stop construction industry abuses

Workers organizing with CTUL kicked off the campaign with a march down Lake Street in Minneapolis.