In this letter to the editor of New America, Associated Builders and Contractors president Robert A. Turner responds to Bayard Rustin’s criticism of nonunion construction, defending the “merit shop” system as an alternative to union collective bargaining. Turner argues that nonunion contractors offered greater opportunities for minority workers, while criticizing unions’ history of racial exclusion.
A Sneak Attack on Black Construction Workers
In this column published by the A. Philip Randolph Institute, Bayard Rustin warns that the growth of nonunion “merit shops” threatens hard-won gains for Black workers in the construction industry. He calls for Black leaders and labor allies to unite in defending union jobs, fair wages, and economic opportunity.
