AGC Settles with 3 Northwest Unions; Seattle Operating Engineers Hold Out
Collective bargaining in the Northwest seems to be off to a smooth start, with five-year agreements signed May 14 between the Associated General Contractors of Washington and regional carpenters and cement masons. The settlements follow a pact signed earlier with the area laborers’ union, but relations with one trade, the operating engineers, remain unsettled. Participants are still hoping, however, to avoid the same kind of labor discord that prompted a disruptive strike last year in the Puget Sound region.
The AGC Master Agreement with carpenters, cement masons, teamsters, laborers and operating engineers expires on May 31. On May 14, the carpenters and cement masons reached five-year agreements with AGC. Those followed an earlier pact with the laborers union. All include raises for the first three years. Doug Peterson, AGC of Washington’s director of labor relations, expects all three will be ratified over the next week. They will take effect June 1,