Unions to Rally Against Worker Exploitation on Digi-Key Project, Blame General Contractor McShane for Inaction

St. Paul, MN (June 4, 2018) – Construction unions and nonunion immigrant workers will join forces in Thief River Falls on Wednesday, June 5 (tomorrow) starting at 6 AM to protest wage theft, exploitation, trafficking, and what they say is the failure of General Contractor McShane Construction to protect concrete workers employed on the publicly-supported Digi-Key Expansion Project.

The $300 million project, which will benefit from $44 million in state subsidies, was expected to create high-quality jobs for area workers. But employees of subcontractor Millennium Concrete say that they have been underpaid and mistreated for the past year, and they are demanding payment of back wages and better treatment going forward.

Union and nonunion worker representatives will present a list of demands to McShane that include closer monitoring of the company’s conduct; a plan for timely payment of back wages; compensation for a worker injured on the job pending resolution of his workers compensation case; and jobsite access for union representatives to prevent further abuses. Stickers reading “Not On My Watch” and “Ya No Más” will also be distributed to show that union and nonunion workers are united in their opposition to the exploitation of immigrants.

Rally At-A-Glance:

Who: Representatives of construction unions and Millennium Concrete workers

What: Rally and press conference opposing wage theft and calling on McShane Construction to end worker exploitation on the Digi-Key project

When: Wednesday, June 5 starting at 6:00 AM [or from 6:00 AM to 1:00 PM]

Where: Digi-Key Expansion construction site (701 Brooks Ave, Thief River Falls, MN) and Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/LIUNAMinnesota/