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I-696, in happier times (Photo by Ken Lund, via Flickr/Creative Commons
Update, 4:49 p.m. Tuesday: In a labor town, this is bold and controversial.
The infrastructure association that locked out union engineers over a contract dispute, stalling roadwork around the state for much of September, says its contractors are replacing union workers with nonunion operators to restore construction operations, The Detroit News reports.
“Contractors are going back to work as we speak, using other non-union operators. So many projects will be up and running in very short order,” says Mike Nystrom, executive vice president for the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association.
Original post Tuesday:
Where is Walter Reuther when you need him? The current team trying to negotiate past a work stoppage on Michigan's highway projects needs some help.
Gov. Rick Snyder said Tuesday that a recent meeting of the parties was not productive. And now the Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association is planning to bring non-union workers in to get the projects back up and running. Union crews haven't worked for three weeks, with the end of construction season looming. Paul Egan at the Free Press reports:
Snyder said he doesn't want to take sides or get involved in the middle of a labor dispute, but with major road projects stalled, he's concerned about "the safety of our citizens and their quality of life."
He said he is continuing to assess his options, including the possibilities of imposing late fines on contractors or using the National Guard, not to take over projects, but to get stalled projects to a stage where the roads could re-open for winter.
Snyder made his remarks after meeting for less than one hour Tuesday morning with the two sides in the dispute -- the Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association, representing the contractors, and Operating Engineers Local 324, representing the unionized operators of cranes and other heavy road construction equipment.
So, more detours for the foreseeable future? Awesome.
