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The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC), a leading advocate for more than 1,800 union contractor firms in the construction and maintenance sector, and North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU), which represents more than three million skilled craftworkers across the U.S. and Canada, jointly urge construction professionals to follow COVID-19 jobsite safety protocols amid the rise in breakthrough COVID-19 cases and the spread of the Delta variant.
The ongoing pandemic – and an overarching concern for the well-being of the men and women who maintain our country's critical infrastructure – prompted both national organizations to take this important and unprecedented step.
In a joint letter to union craftworkers and employees of TAUC member contractors, TAUC and NABTU expressed support for a "layered approach" to addressing the pandemic. "At the jobsite, testing and tracing, adequate ventilation, physical distancing, and masking and respiratory protection will protect members," the two groups wrote. "To assist with that, we are asking you to consider getting vaccinated if you haven't already. It's one of the best ways to protect you and others from COVID-19 and the Delta variant."
"The bond between union contractors and the men and women of the building trades has always been strong," said Daniel Hogan, CEO of TAUC. "Since the pandemic began, that bond has only grown stronger as we worked side-by-side to keep the country running under extremely difficult circumstances. Through good times and bad, we always look out for one another and make safety our top priority. That's why TAUC is proud to partner with NABTU in encouraging all construction professionals to follow and take seriously COVID-related safety protocols on the jobsite — and also to consider getting vaccinated. At the end of the day, our industry is nothing without our people."
"We appreciate the collaboration and communication with TAUC to put the safety of workers first," said Sean McGarvey, President of NABTU. "As we do our part to lower the rate of infection in our communities amid the Delta variant surge, we urge everyone who is eligible and able to get vaccinated. Evidence shows that COVID-19 vaccines, combined with health and safety protocols, are the best tools available to protect each other on the jobsite. From issuing our national disease control standard to advancing infection control and prevention measures and negotiating mandates and testing on worksites, worker safety remains forefront for NABTU, and we will continue doing whatever it takes to protect our members, contractors, and everyone in the construction industry."
You can view the TAUC-NABTU letter here. TAUC members are encouraged to share the letter with workers.