Dan Stein

The Project

Dan helps workers in the Twin Cities’ construction industry defend their workplace rights and build power through the Building Dignity and Respect Program.

Non-union construction workers in the Twin Cities’ experience widespread wage theft and other workers’ rights abuses. Through Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha (CTUL) these workers are joining together to defend their rights, support each other, and develop lasting worker empowerment. As part of this effort, workers are calling on Twin Cities developers to join the newly launched Building Dignity and Respect (BDR) Program, a human rights program built on the Worker-Driven Social Responsibility model.

In the BDR Program, “participating developers sign a legally binding agreement to uphold certain human rights standards on their projects. This includes worker protections from wage theft, physical and sexual abuse, and human trafficking, as well as access to safe working conditions and fair pay. Workers are made aware of these protections through comprehensive, worker-designed education sessions, empowering them to become frontline defenders of their own human rights. The Building Dignity and Respect Standards Council then monitors participating developers’ job sites to ensure all contractors are operating in compliance with the Code. If contractors are found to be in violation of the Code, and refuse to take appropriate steps to come into compliance, they will no longer be able to work for participating developers.”

Fellowship Highlights to Date

In the first year of the Fellowship, Dan has:

• Advised workers and organizers in their efforts to build power, strengthen workplace safety, and respond to discrimination
• Led a campaign supporting the introduction of workplace safety legislation at the state level
• Presented to policymakers at the White House, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Federal Trade Commission, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Next Steps

In the next year, Dan plans to:

• Help develop CTUL’s efforts to support workers with claims of wage theft or other labor violations
• Provide legal support for the development and implementation of the BDR Program
• Assist with worker-to-worker educational efforts about labor standards