As a carpenters union strike moves into its fourth week, it is starting to affect the Warsaw Schools building projects.
James Lake, of Kovert Hawkins Architect Inc., gave a report to the school board Monday night on the strike and its impact.
The Jefferson Elementary renovation and expansion project is not being affected. The contractor, James S. Jackson Co. LLC, is a non-union contractor.Michael Kinder and Sons Inc. is the contractor for the Claypool Elementary expansion and renovation project. Lake said the contractor is union, but the project is only slightly affected. Where it is affected is mostly in the continuation of building the footing and foundation of the project and some carpentry in the building. There is other work the contractor can have done while the strike continues.
Fetters Construction is the contractor for both the new Madison and Leesburg elementary schools.
"The reason they are affected so greatly," Lake said after the school board meeting, "is that the work needing accomplished is the work of the carpenters."
During the board meeting, Lake said Leesburg was not as drastically effected as Madison because most of Leesburg's footings and foundations already were put into place by the time the strike started. The Madison project had not been that far along by the time of the strike.
Lake said he thinks they will be able to make up the time lost from the strike with the block work. "We'll have to see how long this (strike) goes," he said.
If the work can't move forward by next week, Lake said, the school board will have to look at options available to them to move the project forward. All of the options are legal, he said.
Lake met with contractors Monday. He said the good thing is that the contractors are moving forward with a solution. However, there is no indication when the strike might end.
"The projects are moving forward at Jefferson and Claypool very well," said Lake. "I'm confident the others will, too."
The union covers about 20 counties. "It is a widespread strike," Lake said.
To support the carpenters on strike, Lake said, other unions have walked off projects, which is why three of Warsaw's projects have no superintendents on site to supervise them.
Dan Robinson, school board vice president, said Lake has been staying in close contact with the contractors and reminding them of what their contract obligations are.
Gene England, board member, asked why the carpenters were striking. Lake said he's heard just hearsay.
"My understanding is there's a discrepancy in what the contractors want and what the carpenters union wants," said Lake.
He said it is very frustrating because there are other people on the other side of the construction fence who are just aching for jobs. He said he hopes it resolves itself for the benefit of all.
A call was made this morning to Larry Moran II, financial secretary of the Indiana-Kentucky Regional Council of Carpenters Local 232, regarding the strike. He said he did not have a comment and hung up.
