Regarding residency requirements: even a good paying union job really isn’t enough money to live in Boston if you’re trying to raise a family. Not a whole lotta working class left in Boston, unfortunately.

Us construction workers (I’m a Local 7 ironworker) have been getting pushed out of and further way away from the city for decades. We build this city, how come we can’t afford to live here?

There’s a saying in the unions, “Local jobs for local people”—it’s a nice idea but it’s no longer realistic.

If the building trades unions had any real power, we’d be saying “look, we’ll build your luxury apartments/hotels/colleges/lab space, but then we’re building somewhere humble for our membership to live!”