‘Time to change tactics:’ Striking concrete drivers unconditionally offer to resume deliveries

Upwards of 300 concrete delivery drivers striking in the Puget Sound region are offering to go back to work until a new contract is settled.

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The suppliers have not responded formally, but at a meeting with employers Friday, Teamsters Local 174 offered an unconditional return to work starting on Monday, Brett Gallagher, concrete driver and teamster negotiator, tells KIRO Newsradio.

“It’s evident we’re not gaining ground fast enough. We decided to do this for the communities, for all the trades, ourselves included. We need to get the entire region back to work. It’s time to change tactics and try something different,” Gallagher added.

That offer appears to have been accepted by employers as well, with a spokesperson for suppliers telling KIRO 7 News that they “look forward to welcoming back the drivers so that we can begin filling the backlog created by the strike.”

Meanwhile, negotiations for a new contract will continue. Employers and Teamsters held a bargaining session Thursday, April 7. The union reports they offered up three separate contracts, none of which were accepted. The crux of the contract dispute relates to retiree healthcare benefits, a Teamsters spokesperson tells MyNorthwest.

Gallagher says it will likely take a couple of weeks before those drivers are back on the road. The Teamsters made a similar move in March, deciding to fold select strike lines to resume certain construction projects. It took at least five days for drivers to resume deliveries, and the teamsters reported at the time only some drivers actually returned to job sites: four of a potential 31 drivers resumed deliveries for at least one concrete supplier.

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Gallagher told KIRO Newsradio this week’s contract negotiations did lead to some progress.