Western Washington construction crane operators go on strike
Aug 20, 2018, 11:16 AM | Updated: Aug 21, 2018, 7:47 am
(AP)
(AP)
Crane operators and paving crews throughout Western Washington won’t show up for work Tuesday as they begin a strike instead.
RELATED: Seattle three-peats as construction crane capital
The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 302 chapter posted an announcement on their website, detailing the union member vote on Monday. That union includes crane operators and paving crews.
EFFECTIVE at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 21, 2018, there will be an immediate economic stand down for all Western Washington Master Labor Agreement work. This means that all members of Local 302 working under the Western Washington Master Labor Agreement are expected to withhold their labor, and not report to work, for the duration of the strike.
Not all crane operators and paving crews are included. Crews working for Skanska, for example, are excluded. Crane operators from other unions will be showing up for work Tuesday.
The strike affects union members working under a Western Washington Master Labor Agreement Work. The union is requesting a 15 percent pay increase over the course of three years and an increase to health benefits and pensions. See the contract here. Members are also asking for double time on Sundays and holidays, and for hours worked over a 12-hour shift.
The strike comes as Seattle leads the nation in the number of construction cranes in the air. Seattle ranks 11th in the nation, when it comes to the number of new apartments it is producing. Redmond is delivering apartments at a greater rate than Seattle.
