After a city-wide eight-week strike, St. Louis concrete truck drivers resumed work on Aug. 18.
Among projects delayed by the strike was the landscaping around Cook Hall. According to Assistant Vice President of Facilities Planning Denise Taylor, the landscaping around Cook Hall was delayed approximately four weeks.
The work began one day after members of Teamsters Local 682 approved a contract ending a strike by concrete truck drivers. The strike had left in doubt the scheduled completion of $1 billion worth of projects in St. Louis and St. Louis County, including work at Saint Louis University.
The strike, which began June 27, was in its eighth week. The new contract gives the concrete truck drivers $1 an hour increase in wages, pension and health benefits over each of five years, plus a $500 signing bonus.
The drivers were making $25.25 an hour. In the next five years, those same drivers, about 285 in total, will be making $30.25 an hour.
The strike began when drivers asked for a new contract to raise drivers’ wages and benefits $1.05 an hour for each of five years. The concrete companies had offered 90 cents.
Both leaders and drivers began to worry that the strike was hitting at construction season.
The construction timeline for Cook Hall incorporated the possibility for delays. During the four-week delay, enough work was available for the construction workers to do other necessary construction on the project.
SLU uses various companies to provide concrete on different jobs. According to Taylor, the typical project includes a material supplier and a subcontractor. Each of these firms is hired based on competitive bidding.
During the strike, concrete workers walked off their jobs at 16 sites rather than work while non-union workers delivered concrete.
Non-union drivers were not utilized for any of the SLU construction, Taylor said.
Substantial completion of the landscaping around Cook Hall is scheduled for Sept. 30.
In addition to the landscaping around Cook Hall, work was slowed on bridges over Interstate 70, a performing arts center at the University of Missouri at St. Louis and buildings at Washington University.
