For decades, unionized construction work in California offered a clear pathway into the middle class for workers without college degrees. As reported by The New York Times, roofers that entered the trades in the 1970s, earned strong union wages, received benefits, and achieved economic stability that included homeownership and long-term security. These were physically demanding jobs, but they were dignified, well-paid, and supported by collective bargaining that set enforceable standards for safety, wages, and job security.
That model began to unravel in the 1980s as union membership in construction collapsed under sustained political and corporate pressure. Builders increasingly turned to nonunion labor following key defeats, including California’s pivotal 1983 carpenters strike, driving down wages while housing prices continued to rise. Nationwide, union membership in construction plummeted, and with it came declining compensation for both union and nonunion workers. Today, the vast majority of construction workers earn less than the average American worker. Many also lack health insurance, retirement benefits, or reliable workplace protections. This has predicably led to higher injury rates while limiting injured workers’ ability to hold employers accountable.
As wages and working conditions deteriorated, immigrant workers increasingly filled the gaps in the labor force, not because they displaced American workers, but because the jobs themselves had been stripped of stability and protections. Many of these workers were hired through subcontracting arrangements that obscured responsibility and left them vulnerable to wage theft, unsafe conditions, and retaliation. Entire generations of American-born workers have exited the trades, while immigrant workers, often without legal status, took on some of the most dangerous work in the industry with little protection or recourse if injured.
Today, aggressive immigration enforcement has further destabilized an already fragile workforce. The decline of unions and the erosion of labor standards have not just reshaped the construction industry, it has reshaped who bears the risk when profit is prioritized over safety, dignity, and the rule of law. These conditions make clear that strong worker protections, real enforcement mechanisms, and full access to the workers’ compensation system are essential to protecting injured workers and holding employers accountable.
