Builders call on governor to intervene in concrete delivery strike

February 18, 2022

With home builders in the region forced to delay projects, BIAW has asked Gov. Jay Inslee to intervene to resolve the prolonged concrete driver strike in King County.

Concrete strike continues

The strike started Nov. 19, 2021, when 34 concrete company workers organized a strike over their expired contract. The workers, cement mixer drivers and plant employees, sought better healthcare benefits and wages for recently retired employees. The strike has now attracted over 300 concrete company workers who continue to block the flow of concrete.

Effects of the strike

With both public and private construction at a standstill and no resolution in the foreseeable future, construction workers face unemployment despite high demand for new homes and other projects.

In his letter to the governor, BIAW President Joseph Irons wrote:

From government-funded projects to new subdivisions to transportation projects to landscaping, this strike has created one more significant knot in the supply chain. One landscaping company is delaying projects up to four weeks and other home builders aren’t able to pour foundations or driveways, severely limiting their ability to build and close on homes with families anxiously awaiting to move.

These delays also increase the cost of each project for families in the region. The longer the strike continues, the more expensive these projects will become. State agencies that own, develop, and procure public projects have a direct responsibility to taxpayers to ensure projects finish on time and on budget. Not doing so would be a reckless waste of taxpayer funds.

This strike only worsens the ability to provide housing for all in our state during a housing crisis.

BIAW asks the governor to persuade all parties involved to resolve the disagreement so construction can resume as normally as possible as we navigate the pandemic. BIAW will keep you updated on the King County Concrete strike moving forward.