Buy a photo

Road construction will resume immediately after a stalemate in the world of work, Governor Rick Snyder said Thursday.(Photo: Detroit Free Press)Buy a photo

LANSING – A labor dispute that has blocked more than 100 road projects in Michigan for more than three weeks has ended for now and work is resuming immediately, Governor Rick Snyder said Thursday.

Snyder said in a statement that the Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association, representing contractors and the Union Operating Engineers Local 324, agreed to continue working without a contract during the 2018 construction season.

The parties have accepted mediation during the winter.

Michigan Transportation Department spokesman Jeff Cranson said the authorities could find out whether high-traffic highway projects such as I-696 in Macomb County or I-75 south of Detroit can still be completed before winter.

There is a good chance that teams can work nights and weekends on these jobs – and on others – to make up for lost time, he said.

The breakthrough came after the Snyder administration stepped up pressure from both sides over the last few days, telling entrepreneurs that they could be hurt financially for carrying out their projects and asking the union to integrate operators. of the Michigan National Guard.

Towards the end of the stalemate, entrepreneurs began recruiting non-union workers to relaunch projects.

Read also:

Expect long lines to Secretary of State Monday. Here's why.

"This is great news and I appreciate the fact that both sides have seen the importance of the work they do for the safety and quality of life of all Michiganders," Snyder said. "The essential work of repairing the roads of Michigan should not have been interrupted, but the important thing is that projects resume. A long-term solution to the contract negotiations has yet to be developed, but this can and should be done once the construction season is over.

MITA locked out the union on September 4th. The union said it did not want to negotiate a new contract with MITA, but with individual entrepreneurs.

Under an agreement reached with the help of the governor's office, MITA will end the lockout and unionized operators of cranes and other heavy equipment will immediately return to work, said Snyder.

Priority will be given to projects that can be completed before the winter, the statement said. Other projects will continue as long as possible, including work to prepare them to travel safely in the winter if they can not be completed.

Cranson said 89 state transmission line projects have been affected by the labor dispute, as well as dozens of local road projects.

"We probably will not know real details for a week or two," he said.

"The work will begin, if not today, then tomorrow," he said Thursday.

Mike Nystrom, vice president of MITA, said he understood the frustration caused by work stoppages.

Nevertheless, "our association has an important responsibility to our members who are committed to doing the best job possible to build and maintain Michigan's infrastructure on behalf of taxpayers," said Nystrom.

"We appreciate the governor's commitment to solve this problem satisfactorily for both parties so that we can restart these road projects. Our members will be working with MDOT to get things done as quickly as possible and the lanes open again for motorists. "

Ken Dombrow, president of the local union, said, "Our members are ready to take over their machines and get these projects done across the state – and we look forward to working again as soon as possible.

Dombrow said the union still has problems to deal with.

"We appreciate the Snyder government's willingness not to take sides and stay focused on how to get the job done," he said.

The press release will continue to review the contractual provisions regarding completion dates and any financial penalties.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ paulegan4.

Read or share this story: https://on.freep.com/2zAkTL9