US construction unions and associations are in shock after a 20-year-old female welder was murdered at work in Minnesota by a co-worker, who reportedly told police he didn’t like her.
After completing a 10-month welding course last year, the victim, Amber Czech, had been working for Advanced Process Technologies, a manufacturer of processing equipment for the food and dairy industries in Cokato, Wright County.
According to a complaint filed by Wright County Attorney Brian Lutes, in the early morning on 11 November, 40-year-old co-worker David Bruce Delong bludgeoned her to death with a sledgehammer in an attack caught on surveillance video.
“The defendant provided a statement to law enforcement after being advised of his rights in which he confessed to killing the victim,” the complaint said.
“The defendant said he intended to kill the victim. The defendant admitted not liking the victim. The defendant said he has been planning to kill the victim for some time.”
Delong was arrested that day on a charge of 2nd Degree Murder.
Attorney Lutes said he would evaluate the case for a possible charge of 1st degree premeditated murder, which requires convening a grand jury.
‘Not an anomaly’
The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) convened a national emergency town hall online on 14 November.
“This tragedy is not an anomaly,” NAWIC said in a statement. “It is part of a disturbing pattern that we, as an industry, can no longer deny—and will no longer tolerate.”
NAWIC president Rita Brown said: “We must confront the truth that too many tradeswomen have endured hostility, intimidation, harassment, and threats on jobsites where warning signs were visible—but unaddressed.”
NAWIC said the construction industry must build and enforce systems that protect every tradesperson’s physical and psychological safety. It said this includes:
- Clear, accessible, and retaliation-free reporting pathways;
- Mandatory, meaningful training on intervention and violence prevention;
- Zero-tolerance enforcement of harassment, bullying, discrimination, and threats;
- Accountability for supervisors and managers who fail to act; and
- A cultural reset that rejects the normalisation of hostility toward tradeswomen.
‘Senseless murder’
North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) president Sean McGarvey said: “North America’s Building Trades Unions is devastated by the tragic and senseless murder of Amber Czech, a 20-year-old welder, who was just beginning her career in the trades.
“Amber exemplified the very best of the construction workforce with her determination, professionalism, and compassion.”
He added: “Amber’s life and legacy must serve as a call to action. We will honor her memory by redoubling our efforts to make construction sites places of opportunity, safety, and solidarity.”
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