Cement-truck drivers strike at core of Big Apple holiday

Cement trucks like this one are now idle in New York City, where drivers went on strike Tuesday. (Associated Press)

The Associated Press

7/3/2008

NEW YORK — Hundreds of cement-truck drivers went on strike days before the Fourth of July holiday weekend, disrupting some of the largest construction projects in the city including the World Trade Center site.

The strike began on Tuesday, when more than 400 cement-truck drivers joined the labor action by Teamsters Local 282.

The walkout affected projects including the Freedom Tower at the World Trade Center site, where rebuilding has already been delayed and is over budget, and new baseball stadiums under construction for the Yankees and the Mets.

Local 282's lead attorney, Bruce Levine, said the union negotiated for weeks with the Association of New York City Concrete Producers over wages and working conditions.

"Local 282 fully intends to continue negotiating in good faith and looks forward to reaching an equitable resolution to this dispute so that its members can return to work as soon as possible," Levine said.

Joseph Greco Jr., treasurer of the concrete producers' association, told The New York Times in Wednesday's editions that the union has said it would not restart negotiations until next week. A call to Greco Wednesday wasn't immediately returned.