(Image: King County)
A concrete workers strike that has paralyzed the region’s construction project remains at an impasse with the contracting companies refusing to budge and the labor dispute stretching into its fourth month. New legislation being considered by the King County Council would study the feasibility of the county or its cities developing public concrete manufacturing facilities.
“Clearly, the local concrete industry is failing the people of King County, and I won’t let our region’s infrastructure hang in the balance. For the future of our infrastructure and our economy, the public sector must act to secure a reliable supply of concrete, even if that means manufacturing our own,” County Executive Dow Constantine said about the proposed study.
Sound Transit, the Port of Seattle, the University of Washington, the City of Seattle would join in the study,” according to the announcement from Constantine’s office. “Each have projects delayed by the lack of available concrete, ranging from Link Light Rail, to a new University of Washington Behavioral Health Teaching Facility, to the West Seattle Bridge,” it reads.
The legislation setting the groundwork for the study is co-sponsored by Claudia Balducci and Girmay Zahilay.
“Without a functioning concrete industry, we won’t have the foundation to build homes, public transit, or healthcare facilities,” Zahilay said. “Indeed, countless projects have already stalled. This could be a matter of life and death for concrete workers and also for many others in our region.”
The proposed study will analyze the feasibility of the county “facilitating the manufacture of concrete, including studying possible partners, locations, and a cost-benefit analysis.” It will also identify “any opportunities for private entities” to be involved with the public project.
While the maneuver might be seen as a way to spur negotiations to end the ongoing strike, the study won’t come together quickly. The report is planned to be due to the King County Council on December 1st.
Around Capitol Hill, the strike has delayed construction, and slowed street projects including paving repair in Volunteer Park, the installation of new traffic cameras near Garfield High School, some work along the Madison Bus Rapid Transit line, and work on the Melrose Promenade project to improve the street, biking, and walking experience along Melrose Ave.
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Interesting go me that with a County Council, very “pro union” from an endorsement standpoint, would be considering a way to work around a union that’s on strike. Seems a little bit like—I’m for unions until they keep me from doing what I want. I’m probably way off on this, but it just strikes me as odd.
There’s no way in hell that a “public concrete” operation would use non-union workers.
This would just end up becoming a situation where the City ends up paying well above market rate for concrete, just so council members can buy off the unions and keep those sweet, sweet labor endorsements and campaign contributions.
Saying the same thing but without the anti union bent or auto-hate for SCC: this would end up becoming a situation where the city pays more, because doing so would be fair. The unions will talk very loudly about how the untenable circumstance was resolved, and the workers now being paid fairly support the politicians who took these measures.
As long as they have strict quality control. Some of the sidewalks by the Amazon spheres and the former 4-star store have already started deteriorating and they’re brand new!
“…without a functioning concrete industry…”???
muhfukka you GOT a functioning concrete industry, you just won’t pay them what they’re asking.