Catherwood LibraryILR School

Nashville’s population increased by 11.6% between 2010 and 2016, but the subsequent construction boom has been deadly for its workers – 16 were killed during 2016 and 2017, the deadliest two year range in over 30 years, resulting in the city being named the most dangerous city in the south for construction workers in a 2017 report. Half of the deaths were Latino workers in a city where Latinos make up 10% of the population. 11 of the 16 deaths were due to lack of safety harnesses that could have prevented deadly falls. Workers spoke of a culture of intimidation and fear that prevented basic safety concerns from being addressed. Some progress is being made– a coalition of Latino, black, and white workers recently aligned with city council allies to have Major League Soccer agree to a list of improvements for the employees working on the football stadium being built, including building affordable housing in surrounding communities, preference for contractors with good workplace safety records, and an improved minimum wage of $15.50 for workers at the stadium. Current minimum wage for Nashville construction workers stands at $14 despite the building boom.