Residential construction is the largest sector of the construction industry and operates virtually union free in most parts of the United States. The jobs it provides offer some of the lowest wages and worst working conditions in the industry. For these reasons organizing the residential market is crucial to the future of building trades unions. This article explores why unions lost the residential market decades ago, how employers and workers developed in the absence of unions, and what kind of organizing activity is happening in the market currently. The article concludes by offering suggestions for future organizing in residential construction.
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