Patricia Zavala, Workplace Justice Coordinator for the Workers Defense Project, recently answered a few questions for Construction Citizen regarding last week’s press conference on the construction workers’ class action law suit we told you about yesterday, as well as the Workers Defense Project, their campaign for fair working conditions and the services which they provide for construction workers in the Austin area.
Construction Citizen: Please introduce yourself and tell us about the Workers Defense Project – who your organization is, what you do and why you do it.
Construction Citizen: Can you tell us about the 21 Rio accident and what has happened since then?
Construction Citizen: What should someone do when they observe some type of wage theft or worker injustice occurring on a construction site?
Construction Citizen: You mentioned that you hope to create an open dialogue so that workers can address concerns about safety and compensation directly with the general contractors and property owners, and so that the workers may negotiate contracts to protect them from safety and wage theft violations. In what ways does your organization help workers ensure that these contracts are in place?
Construction Citizen: Who is responsible for creating those safe working conditions which you describe? Is it the owner, is it the contractor, is it the subcontractor? Who is actually responsible for that?
Construction Citizen: How do you get the message to everyone in that “contracting chain”?
Construction Citizen: What are some of the consequences if those who are responsible don’t pay attention to the workers' rights?
Construction Citizen: How do workers find out about the Workers Defense Project?
Construction Citizen: How can they reach you?
For more information, contact the Workers Defense Project, 5406 Manor Rd, Austin TX 78723
(512) 391-2305, or visit their website at www.workersdefense.org
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