Changing Gears

For blue collar workers, the recession has been more like a depression. (I reported on these sobering numbers last year.) That’s why so many construction workers welcome all the jobs oil refinery expansions are creating in the Midwest. The boon in the Canadian oil sands is creating jobs here. And, while my story this week spends a lot of time talking about the potential environmental and health risks of this industry, there is no doubt how much having work means to these construction workers. After the jump, some of the voices and images from a job call at an electrical union hall in Detroit.