Report Back: Press Conference Follows Another Near-Tragedy

On June 9, WDP proudly announced the Premier Community Builder partnership Agreement with Maxum Development at the 21Rio apartment complex, two years after three workers died while working on the building, a Maxum development project.

Last week’s landmark victory for construction workers came on the heels of yet another avoidable tragedy in Austin’s construction industry, which served as a call to attention for those of us who watch working conditions. As we all well know, summer time in Austin brings about soaring temperatures that can be deadly for those working outside all day. A 17 year-old construction worker was found nearly dead at 704 West, a worksite in downtown, last Tuesday June 7, with a 108 degree body temperature, and he was rushed to the hospital. While the boy is projected to have a full recovery, we know that the situation could have ended much worse, and ensuring access to water and having rest breaks can prevent incidents like this.

Given this sad news, it shows all of us that it is more vital than ever that we continue to work to reach agreements like the one signed with Maxum Development last week, and continue to push for stronger enforcement and implementation of last summer’s water & rest break ordinance.

We at WDP would like to thank all the speakers and attendees from last week’s historic agreement announcement! We hope the signing of this agreement marks the beginning of a new era of partnership between the construction industry, WDP, and other concerned members of the community of Austin.

See images from the press conference in the bar to the left, and click on the following links for related press coverage of the event, last week’s worksite incident, and an article about the recent bill that passed to protect workers from wage theft:

KXAN Press Conference Coverage: