October 31, 2025
Minneapolis City Council and Mayor Jacob Frey
City Hall – 350 S 5th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55415
RE: Letter of support for Non-Union Construction Workers in the city of Minneapolis
Dear Minneapolis City Council Members and Mayor Frey:
On behalf of the Lower Northeast Neighborhoods Association (LNENA) Board of Directors, I am writing to express our strong support for non-union construction workers in Minneapolis and for the community-driven solutions they are bringing forward to ensure safer, fairer working conditions through improved monitoring and enforcement of human rights standards.
LNENA has a proud history of partnering with Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha (CTUL) to improve working conditions for construction workers in the Beltrami and Northeast Park neighborhoods. Through this collaboration, we have witnessed the power of worker-led advocacy and community partnership in addressing wage theft, unsafe job sites, and other serious labor abuses that too often go unreported due to fear of retaliation or immigration-related threats.
We believe the Building with Dignity and Respect (BDR) Program offers a proven, community-driven approach to promoting accountability in the construction industry. The program empowers workers to safely report violations, ensures independent payroll and site audits, and builds direct collaboration between developers and community partners to uphold fair labor standards at every level.
These values align deeply with Minneapolis’ commitment to equity and justice. We urge the City to work with non-union construction workers and community organizations to adopt policies grounded in the BDR model, so that the homes and businesses built in our city truly reflect our shared belief in dignity and respect for all.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter and for your continued leadership in building a city that values both its residents and its workers. If you have any questions, please contact me at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Katie Kottenbrock
LNENA Board Chair
cc: LNENA Board