We are at day 98 of the concrete strike by members of Teamsters Local 174, with no meaningful movement from the concrete companies. Despite this deafening silence, the Associated General Contractors of Washington (AGC), acting as a propaganda machine working on behalf of these employers, found its voice just long enough to put out a lie-filled statement on Feb. 15, 2022, in an attempt to poison the well of public support we have received from our communities and our brothers and sisters in the Building Trades.
The concrete companies that employ our members have repeatedly refused to return phone calls from Rick Hicks, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 174. The only meeting these employers have attended since the strike began was a federal mediation session on January 20, 2022. These companies refused to talk at the meeting, and they have given no indication since that they are willing to negotiate. This was an appalling snub of our members – mediation only works if you are willing to talk.
Today we are scheduled to meet, but have little expectation the companies will make any movement as their goal from the start was to either break the Union, or have our members accept an inferior offer compared to others in the Building Trades. That way, they set up future negotiations by telling other members in the trades “this is what will happen to you.”
The position of our concrete mixer truck drivers has been consistent over the months of this strike: they want to be treated fairly compared to the other Building Trades workers they work next to every day. Concrete drivers are just looking for a fair contract that does not leave them farther behind the pay package of similar Building Trades workers.
The companies’ last offer does add $7.71/hour to the total compensation package over a three year period, but the AGC failed to mention that the contract they ratified with Teamsters Local 174 members who drive dump trucks will add $10.40/hour over the same period.
Concrete mixer drivers’ compensation also falls short when compared to Building Trades workers represented by other unions – many of whom drive heavy trucks as well – both in the total compensation package and in the increase the employers have proposed. These figures are all publicly available on the Washington L&I Prevailing Wage website:
There are some differences that can make it challenging to compare the contracts in an apples-to-apples way, but that is no excuse to allow the gap in pay, healthcare and retirement to increase. As pictured in the above graph, concrete mixer drivers’ compensation in 2024 would be $11-$15/hour less than other heavy truck drivers in the Building Trades, under the concrete companies’ last proposal.
The concrete companies are trying to distract you by focusing on the difference between “concrete suppliers” and “concrete workers,” but this is verbal gymnastics designed to confuse the issue. These companies control 90% of the concrete market in the Seattle area, and have operated like a cartel with ultimate control over pricing for many years. For example, when Seattle implemented its paid sick leave law, the concrete cartel added a surcharge to every yard of concrete they sold in order to cover any possible cost increases. Their claim that they cannot pay workers fairly and still remain competitive is laughable.
The AGC statement ends by pointing out that politicians and government agencies have expressed support for our striking concrete members. This is correct – yet they have done so not because they lack “knowledge of the facts involved,” as AGC claims, but because they understand that mixer drivers’ pay should reflect the skilled work they do. And they understand whose fault it is we are still on strike. That fault lies squarely with the concrete companies who are holding Seattle hostage: CalPortland, Lehigh Cement, Cadman, Salmon Bay Sand & Gravel, and Stoneway Concrete.
We call on these companies to come back to the bargaining table to negotiate like adults. Our members have waited long enough.