COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The orange barrels are along the side of the roads but a contentious labor dispute is affecting two major road repair projects in Branch County.
Coldwater City Manager Keith Baker says in his report for Monday night’s City Council meeting that the I-69 overpass repair project at U.S. 12 and the Business Loop I-69 repaving project have been delayed from starting as a result of the statewide labor dispute between the operating engineer’s union and the road builder’s association.
Most of the road projects throughout the state came to a halt after the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association locked out Operating Engineers Local 324 last Tuesday. The two sides have been unable to agree to a new contract after the old deal expired in June.
Union members are responsible for operating heavy machinery at road construction sites.
There have been a war of words between MITA and OE 324 in recent days. MITA says the union has refused to bargain while the union says after working in the heat of the summer, they are being rewarded by getting laid off.
The Business Loop 69 project was originally scheduled to start August 17 before it was pushed back for two weeks. The I-69 bridge work was supposed to have started last Tuesday.
No one has any idea when the road work will continue and the clock is ticking on the construction season which usually ends in Michigan when the snow starts to fly.
