Critical resources for construction workers who are confronting the coronavirus pandemic at work are now available in Spanish on a new website created by the state’s largest construction labor union group.
Construction is the sixth largest employment sector in the U.S. economy and many job sites remain active during the pandemic.
The Massachusetts Building Trades Council (MBTC) has made its COVID-19 Resource Center available in Spanish to ensure even more workers and their families have the information they need to mitigate chances of getting infected or spreading the virus while at work.
The Council had previously called for a moratorium on all non-essential statewide construction, but feels it is critical for workers who do continue laboring on construction sites to have the knowledge needed to protect themselves to the greatest degree possible.
“There are many tradesmen and tradeswomen whose primary language is Spanish, and it’s crucial that the same information is available to them as it is to everyone else,” said MBTC President Frank Callahan. “We want to ensure that everyone who makes a living on a construction site learns how to stay safe and how to protect themselves and their families during this time of uncertainty.”
The global pandemic has disproportionately impacted communities of color, including communities with a high percentage of residents whose primary language is Spanish, such as Chelsea.
The Spanish-language Coronavirus Resource Center created by the Massachusetts Building Trades council can be found at: https://massbuildingtrades.org/coronavirus-best-practices-for-building-trades-unions-esp/.