By Joe Bernick

People's Weekly World

www.pww.org

PHOENIX, Ariz. - The Justice for Roofers in Arizona campaign scored its first victory when the United Union of Roofers and Waterproofers Local 135 signed a four-year contract covering 325 workers with Diversified Roofing Corporation.

This is the first contract to cover residential roofers in the fast-growing Phoenix metropolitan area, which has experienced a 40 percent population growth in the last 10 years.

Many Arizona roofers work under the most horrible conditions. There are stories of roofers deprived of water while working in the hot sun where temperatures often exceed 110 degrees in the shade. Roofers are often denied pay for overtime, are asked to attend meetings without pay and are regularly expected to pick up supplies on their way to the job site, without compensation for the hours and labor involved. The mostly immigrant work force also faces constant intimidation and retaliation when they try to stand up to the boss.

Workers at Diversified, which does about 15 percent of all residential roofing in Phoenix, won a raise to $12.50 an hour, yearly raises, fully paid family health insurance, a pension plan, an apprenticeship program and a grievance and arbitration procedure. The union is hoping that the example set at Diversified will lead to organization at other companies.

The Phoenix victory follows a decision by the national leadership of the union five years ago to commit as much as 40 percent of the union's income to organizing. In the last four years the union has grown from 19,000 to over 23,000 members, a 25 percent increase.