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Private contractors prepared to look elsewhere for concrete as union strike continues

Work on a new building in Bellevue scheduled to be occupied by Meta is now on hold, and all 200 workers were sent home due to an ongoing concrete driver strike.

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Add another building to the list of stalled projects as a result of the ongoing concrete workers strike, and it stands out on the Bellevue skyline.

The 300,000 square foot Block Five building, in the Spring District, is twelve stories tall, and next to a massive pit that will become Block Six.

But the entire, massive project, designed and scheduled to be occupied by Meta is now on hold.  All 200 workers have been told to go home, and that all construction is suspended.

It is all related to the ongoing concrete workers strike, led by Teamsters 174.

"I'd be lying if I didn't say that with frustrations mounting, all sides, all parties are starting to think of other ways, other alternatives to get back to work," said Bill Ketcham, of Turner Construction on Thursday. 

He stood next to the shell, pointing out all the concrete that still needs to be laid in order to continue. "The steel and metal decking that you see has gone up as far as it can to be supported by the concrete core that's gone up, so now we've got to wait for more of that concrete core."

He says the project was scheduled to be completed, originally by November, and that has already been pushed to February because of the labor impasse.

Teamsters 174 says the strike started over retiree health benefits and pay, while the four concrete companies say they've offered generous pay increases. But the two sides have not met in weeks.

On Wednesday, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and King County Executive Dow Constantine got into the mix, putting pressure on both sides publicly to work out a deal.  

Constantine says King County is ready to receive bids for outside concrete to keep publicly financed projects moving, and Harrell said if no deal is reached by February 20th, the schedule for the West Seattle Bridge reopening could be delayed. The Washington State Convention Center expansion is also in jeopardy, according to Harrell and Constantine.

Yet, the power move didn't immediately prompt a bargaining session. Both sides ratcheted up the rhetoric again on Thursday, with the Teamsters suggesting the concrete companies are operating like a 'cartel' and holding taxpayer-funded projects 'hostage'.  

The four companies, which include Glacier Northwest, Stoneway, Salmon Bay Sand and Gravel, and Cadman, released a joint statement accusing the union of organizing an 'orchestrated media spectacle' with a demonstration on Wednesday.  

The Teamsters set up a table outside one company office and were seen on a live stream shouting at the front door and offering to negotiate on the spot. 

The joint statement read "We believe a controlled and professional negotiation with a federal mediator is the best way for the parties to arrive at a settlement. Enough with the political and media grandstanding. It is time for serious effort. By the way, the Teamsters Union can end this strike tomorrow if they want to. They called this strike, not us."

Ketcham, on the other hand, says he supports the political pressure in the labor negotiations, and Turner is also preparing for plan B if needed.

"There seems to be no end in sight and as long as that's the case, anyone who is really thinking about the people who are out of work and the business being lost right now, have to be thinking outside the box," he said.

    

 

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