Short answers, pulled from the story.
Laborers utilize blasting tools, hand tools, power tools, air tools, and small heavy equipment to work across roads, bridges, tunnels, and pipelines. A minimum set of gear includes a hammer, pliers with side-cutters, utility knife, tape measure, locking pliers, crescent wrench, screwdriver, margin trowel, carpenter's pencil or soapstone, tool belt, and one pouch.
In 2008, union laborers earned an average of $25.47 per hour compared to $13.72 per hour for non-union workers in the United States. By 2012, total compensation including medical insurance, vacation pay, pension plans, representation, and vocational schools reached approximately $45 per hour for union members.
Laborers engage in demolition activities that involve concrete cutting, pavement breaking, and removal of interior building parts like framing members, doors, windows, wiring, and piping. Environmental remediation and hazardous waste handling require specialized skills to manage toxic materials safely while performing shotcrete, gunite, grouting, and formwork for concrete projects.
Some long-time laborers believe steel toes are dangerous on site because crushed toes might be better than toes cut off by crushed steel. Studies have proven this belief wrong despite the persistence of the safety concern among experienced workers.
If a laborer gets injured on the job, they immediately undergo a drug test according to OSHA guidelines. Positive test results make workers ineligible for any Workers' compensation benefits regardless of their actual injury severity.