{"id":12909,"date":"2018-08-21T22:22:30","date_gmt":"2018-08-21T22:22:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/minutes.machine.market\/?p=12909"},"modified":"2018-08-21T22:22:30","modified_gmt":"2018-08-21T22:22:30","slug":"western-washington-crane-operators-strike-after-union-members-reject-labor-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/machine.market\/blog\/western-washington-crane-operators-strike-after-union-members-reject-labor-deal\/","title":{"rendered":"Western Washington crane operators strike after union members reject labor deal"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Seattle area\u2019s construction frenzy slowed Tuesday as crane operators and some other workers walked off the job after rejecting a new union contract.<\/p>\n

Western Washington members of the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 302 started the strike at 6 a.m. Tuesday, according\u00a0to a statement<\/a>\u00a0on its website. In addition to crane and other heavy equipment operators, the union is made up of\u00a0mechanics, surveyors in the construction industry, and stationary engineers, who work in operations and maintenance in building and industrial complexes, according to the Washington State Labor Council.<\/p>\n

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Most construction workers aren\u2019t covered by the contract<\/span>, and some workers in other unions did show up to job sites Tuesday.\u00a0But those projects throughout Western Washington<\/span>\u00a0faced potential delays because some of the workers involved in the strike have integral jobs.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The crane operators, in particular, are pivotal:\u00a0Seattle has 65<\/a>\u00a0cranes remaking its skyline \u2014 the most in the country \u2014 while Bellevue has 14. On most days, their giant arms are busy swinging around heavy equipment, but on Tuesday, most sat idle.<\/p>\n