Union Strike Means Delay On Warsaw's Center Street Repaving Project
Projects Also Delayed in Thirteen Other Counties
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Construction work that was to continue on Center Street in Warsaw Monday has been halted due to members of the International Union Of Operating Engineers Local 150 going on strike. The strike is against the Northwest Indiana Contractors Association. The union’s contracts with three employer associations are expired, and all three associations’ latest proposals were overwhelmingly rejected by Local 150 members June 5. Members of Local 150 are picketing the asphalt plants in the area as they await the conclusion of contract negotiations. Local 150’s main focus in negotiations has not been on wage raises, but instead on keeping up with rapidly increasing healthcare inflation costs, which industry experts have estimated at approximately 10 to 14 percent. Local 150’s strike effects building, road, bridge and various other types of work being performed in Lake, Porter, LaPorte, St. Joseph, Elkhart, LaGrange, Marshall, Fulton, Kosciusko, Noble, Newton, Jasper, Starke and Pulaski counties. In Elkhart County, with the union strike, that means the extension of CR 17 from CR 38 at a cost of $10 million will be on delay. Warsaw’s Center Street project to repave the street from Hickory Street near the railroad at the center of town to U.S. 30 and East Lake Street has been put on hold as a result of the union strike. The milling work was scheduled to begin Monday, and the project was to be completed by June 27. Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins said Reggie Smith, Phend & Brown estimator and project manager, visited his office Monday morning, notifying him that the union decided to strike and the Center Street project is on hold. During a telephone interview this morning, Smith said the asphalt companies are still on strike this morning. “We were all ready to go Monday morning and the machine was ready to cut pavement, but due to the strike, barricades came down,” Smith said. “We are ready to set up and proceed with the project once the workers go back to work.” Wiggins said the city’s intent was to have the Center Street repaving project completed by the end of this month before the July 4 holiday. “Reggie said the project will come to a halt because we can’t mill out the project if we can’t repave it,” Wiggins said. Wiggins said the city is in a waiting game and doesn’t don’t know how much longer it will have to wait for the project to begin. “We will wait to hear what action the negotiations take,” Wiggins said. Lacy Francis, Warsaw street superintendent, said barricades were removed from Center Street out to East Lake Street Monday morning. He said the city was notified by Phend & Brown Monday morning to shut down operations on the Center Street project and did so.
