Strike putting brakes on region's rush to build

The Seattle Times reports:

To hear builders tell it, 100 striking concrete workers have brought the industry to its knees.

As the strike by the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 302 ends its fourth week, dozens of construction projects around King County are sitting idle.

Highway ramps in Issaquah, light rail's line in Rainier Valley, condo towers in Bellevue, office parks in Seattle — all are waiting for those big bulbous trucks bearing wet, ready-mix concrete.

There's none to be had.

As a result, an estimated 1,000 carpenters, ironworkers, laborers and other tradespeople have been laid off, and another 500 could be out of work next week, a union official said.

Construction schedules are being pushed back. And costs, while not high yet, are mounting.

"It's mind-boggling that such a small group of people can affect such a large industry," said Oscar Oliveira, a vice president at Colliers International, a commercial real-estate brokerage in Seattle.

"If it goes on much longer, the negative rippling effects on the economy could be strong," Oliveira said.

If these workers think they are underpaid they should work somewhere else.