Seattle-area carpenters hit the picket lines Thursday, demand higher wages
Sep 16, 2021, 7:29 AM | Updated: 7:33 am
Tower cranes crisscross the sky on April 2, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)
(Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)
Starting Thursday, thousands of local carpenters and construction workers will hit the picket lines.
Thousands of construction workers to start strike Thursday
The Northwest Carpenters Union, which represents 12,000 workers in Washington state, voted on Saturday to strike.
Members of the union rejected its fourth tentative agreement with the Associated General Contractors of Washington. On the union’s Facebook page, they say the workers want a better contract. They’re asking for a cost-of-living pay hike, better benefits, and parking reimbursements near certain work sites, among other demands.
On Wednesday night, hundreds of union members gathered in Kent for a strike kickoff rally. They chanted together: “The people united.”
“This is our time to show the world what it means to be labor,” said Lee Carter, a union member.
The union warns that the strike could impact many local construction projects, including the Microsoft campuses in Redmond and Sammamish, and the new Bellevue Plaza.
The KIRO Radio Newsdesk contributed to this report.
Follow @http://twitter.com/Mynorthwest
