"Alternative concrete suppliers are simply not available within our project area,"Rogoff said.. We are ready to bargain a fair deal that treats our members with the same respect already shown to the other construction trades when negotiating their contracts earlier this year. Kenmore 6425 NE 175th St Amazons contracted delivery drivers have described skipping meals and rest breaks to deliver hundreds of packages a shift on time for skimpy wages compared with their peers at UPS, who are unionized by the Teamsters. We support credit card, debit card and PayPal payments. Previously, the Teamsters organized an Amazon delivery service partner in Michigan. Teamsters Local 174 represents 8,600 workers in the Seattle area, according to its release. Charlie, We are reasserting the Unions position outlined in the February 18, 2022 email (attached below) which you received from Director of Negotiations Patty Warren. Can you help identify 2 people found dead in King County? Loudoun Transit buses will stay parked starting Wednesday morning as union members Representatives for the Teamsters said in an announcement that they were disappointed by the mediation, alleging that the employers did not advance a worthwhile proposal. university Compare Standard and Premium Digital here. Wagons were few, and there were not enough skilled teamsters to drive them, nor wheelwrights and blacksmiths to maintain them. All we want is fairness. Weve said over and over again that the offer that our members are going to ratify is gon to have to live up to all the other construction trades agreements that have been ratified over the last year and a half, Fleming said. "We are ready to bargain a fair deal that treats our members with the same respect already shown to the other construction trades when negotiating their contracts earlier this year. They are unwilling to pay the workers prevailing wages and benefits. He currently receives $19.75 an hour to pay each driver, which he said prevents him from raising wages. cookies These workers, who are. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. The group of nearly 100 concrete mixer drivers had been honoring [], Nearly two-week strike by dump truck drivers threatens holidays for Teamster workers Despite the cold, wet, windy Seattle weather, 34 dump truck drivers are still on an Unfair Labor Practice strike at Gary Merlino Construction. 330 members of Teamsters Local 174 are currently on Unfair Labor Practice strike against Gary Merlino Construction, Stoneway Concrete, Cadman, Glacier/CalPortland, Salmon Bay Sand & Gravel, and Lehigh Cement. The union Sign up for The Tech Friend newsletter. "The Teamsters have remained willing to sit down and negotiate in good faith. 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In order to point the domain to your server, please login here to manage your domain's settings. The two sides met on Thursday, along with Northwest District of Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Commissioner Roger Moore and Regional Director Beth Schindler. Over the past two summers, Battle Tested Strategies drivers have had to deliver as temperatures have soared far above 100 degrees Farenheit for multiple days in a row. You can still enjoy your subscription until the end of your current billing period. CHECK OUT THE UNION DIFFERENCE in Washington state: higher wages, affordable health and dental care, job and retirement security. or You can also make a check out to Teamsters 174 Worker Assistance Fund and send it to: Teamsters Local 174, 14675 Interurban Ave. S. Suite 303, Tukwila, WA, 98168. UPDATE: Jan. 24, 2022: A mediation session last week between Teamsters Local 174 and employer representatives failed to produce results, meaning a strike involving more than 300 concrete company workers that has slowed projects across the Seattle area will continue. Last week, 84 workers at Amazon contractor Battle Tested Strategies reached a contract with the Teamsters, which the employer voluntarily recognized. This situation is more about an outside company trying to distract from their history of failing to meet their obligations.. When KIRO 7 asked Fleming what it would take to end the strike, she replied, Thats a good question. ", But in the Teamsters' statement about the ongoing strike, Hicks said an owners' representative hadn't spoken to the Teamsters in nearly six weeks. While not directly employed by Amazon, they power a huge swath of its logistics network which now rivals the size of UPS. ", "These giant, multinational construction companies are demanding that workers accept a package of wages, healthcare and retirement that would be a decrease in compensation over three years when you take inflation into account,"said Hicks. KIRO 7 News Seattle facebook feed(Opens a new window), KIRO 7 News Seattle twitter feed(Opens a new window), KIRO 7 News Seattle youtube feed(Opens a new window), College baseball player shot in middle of game while standing in bullpen. The package includes a 17.6% pay increase over three years, improves pension contributions, provides excellent medical benefits, and generous retiree medical insurance rarely found in other labor contracts. SEATTLE Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell is urging striking concrete workers to return to mediation and strike a deal. ", In a letter Dec. 30 to Seattle-area public officials who had encouraged employers and the Teamsters to resolve the dispute, representatives from four of the concrete companies highlighted the offer employers have made to the union., "We are acutely aware of impact the Teamsters strike is having on our region and agree that skilled labor is essential to the delivery of concrete in a safe, prompt, and efficient manner," read the letter."That is why we have presented union leadership with the best package we have ever offered the Teamsters. Monday mornings picket line extension to the Port of Everett cement terminal shut down all operations at the port, which supports nearly $21 billion worth of U.S. exports annually. I hope other drivers join in [because] what we deserve is not what were getting.. The new CBA was retroactive, encompassing the periodof August 1, 2017 through July 31, 2021. The union said there are no further talks planned, and picketing will continue until a contract is agreed on. The contracts have been expired since July 31, 2021. Meanwhile, contractors working on construction projects throughout the region have begun to threaten lawsuits if the concrete does not start flowing again soon, even though the National Labor Relations Act and the Teamsters' expired contracts with the Companies protect the workers' right to withhold their labor until a contract is reached. The city closed the bridge suddenly in March 2020 after cracks in the concrete were discovered. Simply log into Settings & Account and select "Cancel" on the right-hand side. No. Killed 51, A Billionaires Quest To Fund Welding, Automotive And Construction Classes In Public High Schools, 3 Ways the Schedule Tool in Autodesk Build Keeps your Projects on Track, Tutor Perini wins $2.95B NYC jail contract, Manufacturing sustains construction spending again. About 330 members of Teamsters Local No. 330 members of Teamsters Local 174 are currently on Unfair Labor Practice strike against Gary Merlino Construction, Stoneway Concrete, Cadman, Glacier/CalPortland, Salmon Bay Sand & Gravel, and Lehigh Cement. You can make a donation to help support the striking workers here. 174. Seattle 5900 West Marginal Way SW 174 have been on strike since November 2021, saying that they are fighting for equity and the same benefits other "The ripple effect of the employers refusal to return to the bargaining table with the Teamsters could devastate the local economy and this comes on top of the impact their arrogance has already had on working families in the Seattle area, many of whom have not seen a paycheck in weeks.". Ben & Jerrys scoopers take key step to form companys first union. On Friday, the 300+ ready-mix concrete and dump truck drivers and support staff offered an unconditional return to work starting on Monday for the people of [], Cadman Seattles postponement further delays critical infrastructure and low-income housing projects; Meanwhile, ready-mix concrete drivers are already back at work at local company Salmon Bay Sand & Gravel (Seattle, WA) After striking for more than four months to demand that their employers stop violating federal labor law, on Monday, over forty ready-mix concrete drivers [], Good-faith gesture from Teamsters designed to meet community needs as negotiations continue The full text of the letters sent to Cadman Seattle, Lehigh Cement, and Salmon Bay Sand & Gravel is below: It has been the Unions goal to reach a successor agreement since we commenced bargaining in mid-July 2021. In a 2022 safety report it published in March, the company said its accident rate has decreased significantly as it has rolled out more safety features in its fleet. We are. journalists in 50+ countries covering politics, business, innovation, trends and more. That contract includes an immediate wage increase as well as substantial future raises and addresses concerns, as well as addressing vehicle conditions and heat safety. Seattle 5225 E Marginal Way S, September 12, 2022 Local 174 members achieve historic increases after long fight More than a year after the contract expired, Teamsters Local 174 members working in the King County concrete industry have voted to ratify a strong new agreement. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. The last writers' strike in 2007-2008 lasted 100 days and cost the California economy $2bn (1.6bn), leading to many cancelled or delayed shows. The concrete/cement companies where members of Local 174 are on strike include the giant German construction company HeidelbergCement (operating under the Lehigh and Cadman brands in the Pacific Northwest), the Japanese-based Taiheiyo Cement, and two major regional companies that control the flow of concrete in Seattle (the city with the second-most construction cranes in the country). Grady would then assign members of Operating Engineers Local 302 to drive [], Employers offer no movement on key issues and bring no new proposal to first bargaining session in months The strike by 330 Teamsters at six companies in the construction industry will be continuing after todays failed mediation session yielded no progress. The concrete companies have been intransigent. The strike was called after GMC management refused to []. Drivers for a company called Silverstar voted to join the Teamsters in 2017, but Amazon cut the companys contract shortly thereafter, BuzzFeed News reported. Teamsters Local 174 George Cavano Annual Scholarship Fund, James R. Hoffa Training and Vocational Programs Scholarship, General Teamster Retirees Club Scholarship, International Teamster Womens Caucus (ITWC) Scholarship, If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, or affect my personal working conditions, I respectfully request that my Union representative or steward be present at this meeting. We just want fair pay and safe jobs, Singh, 40, said in an interview. Our knowledge base has a lot of resources to help you! The workers are all members of Teamsters Local 174, and are on strike in protest of the six Companies' refusal to bargain in good faith. While the Teamsters with 340,000 represented UPS employees have been trying to unionize Amazon drivers for years, their commitment to that effort was redoubled when Sean OBrien, the current progressive union president, won a hotly contested race in 2021. They have recently refused to come back to the bargaining table. Share this Topics covered: project delivery methods, contractor profiles, case studies of innovative projects and news from Capitol Hill, and more. Stop Grinch bosses from stealing Christmas for Teamsters families (Dec. 15), AFL-CIOs Fred Redmond visits Teamsters picket (Dec. 8), Concrete solidarity: Strike grows in King County (Dec. 6), Gary Merlino drivers ULP strike continues(Nov. 29), Short URL: https://www.thestand.org/?p=104822. Delivery routes, where drivers are expected to drop off between 250 to 400 packages, typically run 10 hours. The latest work stoppage follows a larger strike by about 2,000 carpenters in the region last fall, which was ultimately resolved when workers agreed to a wage hike and parking benefits. (Propagation). On Dec. 3, 2021, after six months of negotiations, Local 174 members were forced to strike after the companies refused to stop violating federal labor law by failing to bargain in good faith for a successor agreement. By Nick Jones, UPS Teamster, Local 174 (Personal Capacity) The Supreme Court is poised to rule later this year on a case that could result in the largest attack on workers fundamental rights in decades potentially dwarfing even the horrendous 2018 Janus v.AFSCME decision that forced all public sector jobs to become right-to-work.. The union said there are no further talks planned, and picketing will continue until a contract is agreed on. Because the contractor Battle Tested Strategies recognized the union voluntarily after a majority of its drivers indicated they supported the union, the union can legally skip the election process typically required for a bargaining unit to receive federal recognition, the Teamsters said. For more information, please see this page. Check if your More than 300 members of Teamsters Local 174 now on strike As of this morning, unionized concrete has stopped flowing throughout King County as members of Teamsters Local 174 walked off the job in an Unfair Labor Practice strike. Prior to today, well over 100 Teamsters were already on strike at Gary Merlino Construction and [] Dive Brief: As shipper concerns persist over a potential UPS strike this summer, the company has assigned high-impact executives to major customers to keep them from shifting volume to competitors, CEO Carol Tom said on an earnings call Tuesday. VIDEO: Striking concrete workers urged to return to mediation, make deal. Rajpal Singh, an Amazon delivery driver at the Palmdale delivery center, said hes hopeful that the contract will address compensation and safety issues. SEATTLE Since Dec. 3, over 300 concrete mixer drivers in Teamster Local 174 have flexed their strike power to demand decent wages and conditions. down from $27.6 million in 2021. Teamsters Local No. A bruising 16-day strike in 1997, the only strike in UPSs history with the Teamsters, cost the company dearly. 99319-0 7 On August 18, Glacier and Local 174 agreed to the terms of the new CBA, which was ratified after a vote by the drivers at approximately 11:00 a.m. The strike is jeopardizing the reopening of the West Seattle Bridge, which was on track to reopen by mid-2022. Picking up where they left off at the end of 2021, striking Teamsters in the Seattle region vowed to continue to halt the flow of concrete to area projects, having already waylaid 500 truck deliveries to four major Sound Transit Authority jobsites and, Teamsters Local 174 said 330 of its workers would continue to strike six concrete companies Gary Merlino, Stoneway Concrete, Cadman, CalPortland/Glacier, Salmon Bay Sand and Gravel and Lehigh Cement over a contract that expired July 31, 2021. After speaking to the mediator on Friday and following her meeting with the joint Employers group on Thursday, it is clear to the Union [], On February 18, 2022, Commissioner Hillman of King County Superior Court ruled on a request by the attorneys for the struck sand and gravel companies to shut down Local 174s picketing. An analysis by three Economic Policy Institute (EPI) expertsMargaret Poydock, Jennifer Sherer, and Celine McNicholasof data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showed that at least 120,600 U.S. workers were involved in major strikes in 2022, up from 80,700 in 2021. SEATTLE, Jan. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After a brief break over the holidays, picket lines are now back up as 330 Teamsters continue to withhold labor as part of an Unfair Labor Practice strike. The 34 dump [], Commissioner rules that Companies must post signs at their facilities and distribute flyers to customers and guests stating that egress may be impeded by picketing for up to two minutes March 8, 2022 After additional dangerous incidents of trucks charging though picket lines, and roughing up of picketers, Teamsters Local 174 returned today to King [], With no progress towards a resolution of the 3+ month concrete and construction strike, Teamsters Local 174 has made another move that we hope will bring us closer to the light at the end of the tunnel. Initially started with 34 workers on Nov. 19, the strike has grown because the six employers are all covered by one master employment agreement. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. 174 said construction companies are trying to force a package on workers that would be significantly less compared to what other construction workers are receiving. Contact:Jamie Fleming, (425) 281-0166[emailprotected], Cision Distribution 888-776-0942 WebMore than 300 members of Teamsters Local 174 now on strike As of this morning, unionized concrete has stopped flowing throughout King County as members of San Francisco is a postcard from a driverless car future. News provided by. The Jan. 21 meeting ended "without a resolution to the open labor agreement,"a spokesperson for four of the concrete companies confirmed to the Seattle Times. Bellevue 1701 130th Ave NE Seattle 5900 West Marginal Way SW Topics covered: labor shortage, recruiting & retaining workers, OSHA & Department of Labor rulings, safety protocols, and more. Without concrete, construction projects throughout the Puget Sound region will quickly run out of work for other construction trades to perform, forcing the layoff of potentially thousands of workers. Can I use my account and my site even though my domain name hasn't propagated yet. So, theyre trying to break the union.. The companies asked for Local 174s members to be prohibited from physically being present at any time in the entrances or exits of the [], As concrete workers demand to bargain with their employers, King County moves to hold companies accountable for delaying public works projects Yesterday morning, the entire Teamsters Local 174 bargaining committee waited more than three hours outside Gary Merlino Construction headquarters, ready to negotiate a new contract to end the strike that has gone on for [], Last week, Teamsters Local 174 got wind of a plan that Cadman was trying to cut a deal for someone else to do struck concrete work on the Sound Transit PLA. offers FT membership to read for free. SEATTLE (Dec. 6, 2021) As of Friday morning, unionized concrete has stopped flowing throughout King County as members of Teamsters Local 174 walked off In a first, Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer, Ala. voted in 2021 on whether to unionize their warehouse, but the results were thrown out by a judge. ", The Associated General Contractors of Washington State, which isn't representing the concrete companies but has been posting updates about the dispute on its website,lobbied for mediation to go forward., "Mediation is the tool for the federal government to support labor management relations," DHondt wrote in his letter., The Seattle Times reportedthat layoffs could be in store for related workers such as masons, ironworkers, laborers and carpenters.Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff told the agency's governing board that missed cement deliveries will mean delays to the agency's contract milestones, acccording to the paper. Amazon in the past has vigorously defended the wages it pays, as well as its safety record. On Monday, the Teamsters claimed the three-hour picket at the Port of Everett shut down the facility, and characterized the owners' offer as "subpar. It also comes on the heels of a broader labor movement nationally dubbed "Striketober," as workers from various industries walked off the job that month. A recent statement from four of the concrete companies said they have bargained in good faith: Accusations have been levied against the companies of refusal to bargain. With their UPS contract expiring this August, OBrien and the Teamsters are already gearing up for a potential strike. The spokesman for the Employers' side, Charlie Oliver of Gary Merlino Construction, has not spoken a word to the Teamsters in nearly six weeks. The pandemic resulted in an uptick of labor activism at Amazon, which is the nations second-largest private employer. And it has encouraged its direct employees to work with Amazon directly instead of unionizing. The judge told us we could still picket as much as we want. All we want is fairness. Snoqualmie 5601 396th Dr SE, Cadman are seeking increased wages and enhanced healthcare benefits for recently retired members. The following is from Teamsters Local 174: EVERETT (Jan. 12, 2022) Striking concrete mixer drivers and plant workers employed by Lehigh Northwest Cement Company extended their picket line to the Port of Everetts 55,000-ton bulk storage cement facility for three hours on Monday. Issaquah 6600 230th Ave SE Singh said there were days when he felt like he would pass out from heat exhaustion from walking into the back of his sweltering van to retrieve packages. If you do nothing, you will be auto-enrolled in our premium digital monthly subscription plan and retain complete access for $69 per month. Amazon governs wage floors, routes, delivery schedules, revenue and maintains the right to terminate and discipline drivers and the new union contract will require that the company make changes to some of these terms. While the Teamsters with 340,000 represented UPS employees have been trying to unionize Amazon drivers for years, their commitment to that effort was TAKE A STAND You can support these striking workers by making a contributionto the Teamsters Local 174 Merlino Heavy Highway and Sand & Gravel / Cement Industries Striking Workers Assistance Fund. Picket lines are generally up and running from around 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. donations of firewood for burn barrels, food, drinks are greatly appreciated at the following locations: Calportand 2023 Cox Media Group. analyse how our Sites are used. Johnathon Ervin, a veteran and the owner of Battle Tested Strategies, said he decided to recognize the union after repeatedly asking Amazon to address his drivers concerns about heat and vehicle safety. The companies maintain the belief that mediation through the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service allows for an unbiased, disinterested, and professional mediator to facilitate a possible resolution.. Teamsters Local 174 Strike at Gary Merlino Construction Enters Fifth Day 2021.11.26 Striking workers set up pickets in downtown Seattle to impact Merlino Change the plan you will roll onto at any time during your trial by visiting the Settings & Account section. A Loudoun Transit bus drops off passengers, pictured in August 2019. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning), Machine Tools, Metalworking and Metallurgy, Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American, Teamsters Local 174 Case Heard by United States Supreme Court, Penske Workers Ratify First Teamsters Contract. The rank-and-file bargaining committee and their Union representatives from Teamsters Local 174 arrived ready [], Over 100 striking construction and concrete workers bring protest activity to construction industrys front yard Yesterday morning, on the two-month anniversary of the start of their strike, a large group of Teamsters Local 174 members descended on the downtown Seattle headquarters of the Associated General Contractors to express displeasure at the organization for spreading misinformation [], Concrete Workers on Strike for Six Weeks Extend Lines to Woodinville and Smith Island (SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash.) At 7:00 a.m. PST, striking concrete mixer drivers and plant workers employed by the Cadman Cement Company extended their picket line to two Cadman-owned plants in Woodinville and Smith Island, Wash. Cadman is owned by the German [], Concrete Workers Shut Down 2nd-Largest Customs Export District in Wash. State (EVERETT, Wash.) At 7 a.m. PST, striking concrete mixer drivers and plant workers employed by Lehigh Northwest Cement Company extended their picket line to the Port of Everetts 55,000-ton bulk storage cement facility for three hours. Construction technology continues to evolve even as the broader tech market hits a rough patch. The workers are all members of Teamsters Local 174, and are on strike in protest of the six Companies' refusal to bargain in good faith. The contracts have been expired since July 31, 2021. With the holidays in the rearview mirror, the struggle for a fair contract has taken on even greater importance. By Nick Jones, UPS Teamster, Local 174 (Personal Capacity) The Supreme Court is poised to rule later this year on a case that could result in the largest attack on This is the sixth week of the general strike by more than 300 concrete mixer drivers and concrete plant workers at five concrete companies in the Seattle area. Under the back door agreement, Cadman would lease mixer trucks to Grady. This secret-ballot vote held by [], April 8, 2022 SEATTLE For months, the companies controlling Seattles concrete industry have stonewalled negotiations and rejected nine different proposals from Teamsters Local 174 that would support working families. Hicks continued. "Like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TeamstersLocal174. Local politicians have also gotten involved in the dispute in an effort to restart negotiations.