Local 302 Strike Slows Down Commercial Construction In Seattle
Seattle construction slowed Tuesday after members of International Union of Operating Engineers Local 302 rejected a new Western Washington Associated General Contractors Master Labor Agreement.
It was not a complete shutdown as most construction workers aren’t covered by the contract, the Seattle Times reports.
The strike affects crane and other heavy equipment operators as well as mechanics, surveyors in the construction industry and stationary engineers.
Seattle currently has 65 cranes, the most in the nation, dotting the skyline and used as an indicator of the level of construction going on across the city, according to the Seattle Times.
The most recent tentative agreement between the union and Associated General Contractors of Washington included a 15.9% pay increase over three years, as well as a 13% increase in benefits. Union workers make from $37.70 to $43.13 an hour.
Most members rejected the most recent offer, according to the union’s website.
A previous deal was voted down 64% to 36% on July 27.
According to the union website, members working for Skanska are not affected by this strike. The union and AGC have been in negotiations for months.
