Labor Action Ends; Concrete Workers Resume Work At Ground Zero and NYC Projects

Work at Ground Zero and other high profile projects around the city are underway once again as a work action by the concrete union has ended after a arbitrator ruled that the union violated Project Labor Agreements and both the union and developers agreed to continue negotiating through August 16 and operating under the terms of the contract that expired on July 1.

The deal restarts work stalled at the Freedom Tower and World Trade Center transit hub after the Cement and Concrete Workers District Council walked off the job Monday in a dispute over wages and the use of nonunion labor.

The union agreed to return to work this morning under the conditions of a contract that expired June 30 and to extend contract talks until Aug. 16, the sources said.

Industry analysts had feared if the strike continued it could bring work to a halt at the Trade Center and result in the layoff of more than 1,000 workers.

The strike did not affect the 9/11 Memorial, which is on target to open on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The 2,700-member union also walked off several other high-profile construction projects on Monday, but they returned to work yesterday after an independent arbitrator ruled they were violating no-strike provisions in their labor agreements.