Judge orders NYC concrete workers back to work after 3-day strike halted work across city

Updated Jul 10, 2015

construction hard hatA strike among concrete workers that brought work to a halt at 30 New York City jobsites was brought to an end over the weekend at the order of a federal judge.

According to a report from Crain’s New York Business, work was stopped for three days at the NYC sites when concrete workers belonging to the New York City District Council of Carpenters went on strike after collective bargaining negotiations broke down between the workers and the Cement League, a trade organization made up of contractors that “hire district council workers under a collective contract.”

With the strike in full swing, the Cement League argued the demonstrations were illegal and “were taking place in violation of separate, site-specific contracts that forbid workers from striking.”

Crain’s reports Judge Edgardo Ramos agreed with the League, and on July 4 “prohibited the carpenters from striking on all jobs governed by a project-labor agreement.”

A union spokeswoman told the site that negotiations with the League had resumed alongside work on all sites.