BUILDing a Protest

BUILD of Buffalo was out in force yesterday protesting a lack of transparency in the Buffalo River Works (aka Solar City) and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. They are claiming that they do not see any African American and other minorities working on the construction projects.

Of course, the oversight committee that is responsible for these projects is claiming otherwise. The claim is that the protesters are only able to see the workers on the outside of the building or working on outside projects. They (the protesters) can not see who is working inside the buildings.

The oversight committee also claims that large projects have been broken up into smaller projects so that minority and women run firms can put in successful (winning) bids on the projects.

The oversight committee claims that the state mandates only 30% of the workforce needs to be minority and that the projects are currently at 37%.

This is an insult.

What percentage of Buffalo and Erie County is minority? (African American, Hispanic, Asian, Middle Eastern, or Female.) THAT is the percentage that needs to be minority.

Why is this law written this way?

To divide the working class against itself. The 1% are playing divide and conquer. Divide the working class against itself and just stand back and reap the victory. If white construction workers see minorities as a threat to their income, employment, and livelihood, then then the 1% propaganda has worked.

And yet the workers fail to see that they are just the pawns of the 1%. Fighting the 1%'s battles for them. And getting crumbs for it.

BUILD of Buffalo is correct to protest the construction projects, They also need to protest the law.

They also need to demand to see the oversight committee's proof of claim: They need to see the documentation that proves that 37% of the workers are minorities and that minority firms are winning contracts.

And then they need to demand that those numbers be raised.