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Gov. Rick Snyder: still no deal on road construction stoppage

Published  September 25, 2018 10:22am EDT
News
FOX 2 Detroit
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LANSING, Mich. (WJBK) - Michigan Governor Rick Snyder was hopeful Tuesday morning to announce an update on the ongoing lockout with the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association (MITA) and the road workers union - but three weeks after the stoppage, nothing has changed.

Snyder held a press conference at 10 a.m. on Tuesday in Lansing. According to FOX 2's Tim Skubick, the governor was hoping that he will be able to announce an agreement has been met.

FOX 2 will stream it live on FOX 2 News Now on Facebook.

Skubick learned from a source that the governor was hoping to announce a deal between MITA and the union. Skubick's source also said that the unions are the holdouts on the deal.

During Tuesday's press conference, Snyder said a deal still wasn't reached. He said that the two sides could not agree to either a short or long-term solution to the stoppage.

MITA sent a letter at the end of August to the Operating Engineers Local 324, saying it would institute a lockout against the union. On Tuesday, September 4, that lockout started.

Gov. Snyder has been meeting with both sides to help get a deal in place.

According to Dan McKernan, a rep for Local 324, members operate the heavy machinery across the state for major construction projects, like the ones on I-696 and I-75 in Metro Detroit. McKernan said the contract expired at the end of May and the union had been working without one all summer until the beginning of September.

Several major projects across the state have been brought to complete stop as the lockout dragged on, including the massive 696 reconstruction, 75 bridge projects, and roughly 150 other projects.

Michael Nystrom, executive vice president of MITA said the lockout is a result of "coercive, disruptive and unlawful activities the union has spearheaded against MITA contractors." Nystrom said that the lockout will end when the union ratifies the proposed contract which increases wages and benefits by $8 per hour, or 14.4 percent over five years to $63.67 per hour.

"MITA has done everything within its power to maintain labor peace and stability, however we've been forced into taking this action by the union. Getting these employees back to work is a top priority. We look forward to hearing from the union on any interest they may have to ending this lockout."