Local 79 Op-Ed: Unfree Labor in NYC Construction —An Appeal to End Body Shops

"Over the last ten years, local construction firms have increasingly profited from the flow of people leaving prison. The most outrageous firms are literally called 'Body Shops'. They make money off the vulnerability of recently released workers," writes Laborers’ Local 79 Business Manager Mike Prohaska in an Amsterdam News Op-Ed. "The commodification of re-entering people makes the playing field unfair for all construction laborers. Body Shops have depressed employment standards throughout our industry, including for our many members who have escaped the poverty-to-prison pipeline because of the career opportunities the union provides. If not checked, Body Shops will just keep making workers desperate, giving the firms still more opportunities to profit from unfree black labor."

"The members of Local 79 want to deliver a clear message to politicians this year: 'End Body Shops Now. Create More Good Union Jobs in Construction for Justice-Affected New Yorkers.'” Read the full Op-Ed here!