Workers Overdose on the Job, and Employers Struggle to Respond
Recently, the New York Times published an article featuring Bricklayers and the struggle with the opioid epidemic within the workforce. A version of this article appears on their official webpage and a full version was printed on Sept. 22, 2018, on Page BU1 of the New York edition with the headline: Overdosing on the Job.
On September 1, 2018, the International Union merged the five locals of South Dakota into Local 1 of Minnesota and North Dakota; our local union is now officially known as Local 1 of Minnesota/North Dakota/South Dakota.
As highlighted in the last quarterly newsletter, the MULE has arrived and is being used in Minnesota and North Dakota. This Masonry assisting tool was designed for Bricklayers to help us be more productive and to reduce stress and strain on the body of the Mason. Construction Robotics, the manufacturer of SAM and MULE, has worked with the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers International Union in the research and development of this Masonry tool.
