Strike At Chicago-Area Quarries Affects Local Construction Projects

EVANSTON, IL — The ongoing strike by heavy equipment operators at Chicago area quarries has delayed or complicated summer construction projects in local communities.

The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 went on strike on June 7 against three major producers of sand, gravel and crushed stone — materials known as "aggregate" and needed to make concrete, asphalt and other construction supplies.

Lehigh Hanson, Vulcan Materials, and Lafarge Holcim operate about 35 quarries and other facilities across northern Illinois where they employ about 300 Local 150 union members, according to the union, which accused them of bad-faith bargaining and violations of workers rights.

The strike has halted the production of aggregate in the Chicago area, and local contractors have nearly depleted remaining stockpiles, according to local and state transportation officials.

Contractors working on Illinois Department of Transportation construction projects across the area have been feeling the pinch, and some scheduled work has had to be delayed, according to department spokesperson Maria Castaneda.

"If this strike continues, the majority of our projects — the ones that need the asphalt and concrete — they would definitely be halted," Castaneda said.

One of the three contractors working on the largest of the state's construction projects, at the Jane Byrne interchange, had already run out of aggregate, the IDOT spokesperson told Patch.

While some contracts in other parts of the state have been supplied with material from quarries that have not been affected by the strike, a prolonged stoppage is likely to have an impact on a majority of IDOT construction projects in the Chicago area.

"I would say, honestly, at this point today, we've probably got about a week or two at the most, and that's most of our projects," Castaneda said Friday.

In Evanston, work has been paused on the Central Street Bridge Replacement project and street resurfacing has been delayed. According to village staff, water main and 30-inch transmission main work has not yet been affected but future delays are possible.

In Kenilworth, the village's contractor began stockpiling stone in the area of a street construction project in preparation for the potential strike, which allowed the village to continue working on the project.

"This does however, come at a cost — residents have endured stone stockpiles in front of their homes for extended periods, loose stone and mud is in the project area, and we are paying an increased cost of about $7,000/week to acquire stone," village staff said in a statement.

To ensure its project can continue, Kenilworth village officials ordered about 35 truckloads of additional stone, which is set to be delivered on July 17, according the statement.

"We understand the inconvenience and mess caused by the storage of stone on the roadway," staff said. "However, this is the only option we have been able to identify to avoid a costly delay in the project that could cause it to continue into 2023."

Representatives of the three companies negotiate together as the Chicago Area Aggregate Producers, or CAAPA, and have denied the union's allegations, including the use of replacement workers, also known as "scabs."

"The unfair labor practice complaints have no merit,” Emily MacMillan, a company spokesperson told the industry publication Construction Dive. “They are moving through the Labor Board process and we will make our case at the appropriate time.”

According to company representatives, Local 150 provided its first wage and benefit proposal June 17.

“CAAPA offered a counter proposal on Monday, June 20," the companies said in a statement to WTTS this week. "The ball is in Local 150’s court at this time. We are willing and ready to continue talks and get employees back to work.”

But Local 150 President James Sweeney said in a statement Thursday that company representatives had refused to schedule future negotiating sessions.

"Employers are resorting to misinformation and lies because they can’t defend their absence from negotiations or their actions outside of them," Sweeney said, "including the use of replacement workers since the first day of the strike."