Striking Out in Illinois

June 20, 2022 – Strikes are bad for business. A strike among construction equipment operators that began last week against three companies that operate 35 quarries throughout Illinois is affecting roadwork in Westchester, Ill., according to the Village Free Press. Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineers went on strike on June 7. The union called the strike against Lehigh Hanson, Vulcan Materials, and Lafarge Holcim – three of the biggest construction material producers in the state – for “bad faith bargaining and violations of employees’ federally protected rights,” the union explained in a statement. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the three companies negotiate as members of the Chicago Area Aggregate Producers Association. The union and a spokesperson for the association declined to speculate on when the strike might affect jobs underway during prime construction season,” the Sun-Times reported.