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Workers picket Twin City ready mix concrete plants
By Michelle Koetters
mkoetters@pantagraph.com
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BLOOMINGTON -- Local union workers picketed at Twin City ready mix concrete plants on Tuesday. Bloomington’s Teamsters Local 26 went on strike against Modahl & Scott in Bloomington and Twin Cities Ready Mix in Normal on Tuesday morning over wage and other contractual terms, said Teamsters President Pat Gleason.

Meanwhile, union workers with Ironworkers Local 112 also held an informational picket at Modahl & Scott, 917 E. Grove St. Workers began to picket at about 6:30 a.m. because Modahl & Scott has hired a non-union contractor that’s getting ready to erect steel, said Johnnie Short, business manager for the East Peoria-based union.

Representatives for both companies declined comment.

The Teamsters union has historically had an agreement with Modahl & Scott that is substandard compared to its contract with Bloomington’s McLean County Asphalt & Concrete, Gleason said.

“We’re just trying to reach parity with the two groups,” Gleason said. “One ready mix driver shouldn’t be making a dollar and half less than another.”

The issue has come up before, and Modahl & Scott has told the union it agreed parity should exist, but nothing has changed, Gleason said. Drivers for Modahl & Scott earn $18.60 an hour while McLean County Asphalt & Concrete drivers make $20.10 an hour.

“We’ve lived with this for well over 20 years. It’s time for it to cease,” Gleason said.

The union also wants to work out some health and welfare issues, he said.

The Teamsters also set up camp at Twin Cities Ready Mix, 1324 Fort Jesse Road. Drivers just organized as a union at the Normal company in February and have striked over a wide range of issues, also including salary, health and welfare, Gleason said.

Drivers there start at about $9 an hour and make up to $19 an hour with the bulk of drivers earning about $11, Gleason said. That’s not acceptable when a typical driver earns more than $19 an hour, he said.

Union workers also do not have a retirement fund, and the company took away vacation time from employees in January, he said.

The number of workers who walked off the job was not immediately known.

Meanwhile, ironworkers held their informational picket as a means of notifying the public that union workers should have the steel jobs at the plant, Short said.

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Reader comments on this story - 7 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

jim4 wrote on May 16, 2008 3:45 AM:

" Shame on the unions for wanting decent wages and benefits. Not so Political just be thankful that you have a job and quit worrying about unions. "

Not so Political wrote on May 15, 2008 6:43 AM:

" an employer has work for people and offers a wage for that job. if a person wants the job he excepts the wages, if he does not like the wage go else where and get a diffferant job at a differant company. the unions have driven wages up so much or the past 60 years that many jobs have moved out of state or out of country. "

nanmck1 wrote on May 14, 2008 7:52 PM:

" I know for a fact, they ARE happy to have a job. they are trying to insure the way of life for the younger members of the Teamsters. My son works there, and, I'm proud that he has taken a stand for a better way of life for his family. Negotiations are there to work for both parties so that a mutually agreeable resolve can be reached.

floyd ~~ this has nothing to do with republicans or democrats. it has to do with working a fair day for a fair wage. Most of these guys pay, stays and gets spent right here in McLean County. Thus helping the economy for everyone. "

2 cents wrote on May 14, 2008 10:21 AM:

" They just want equal pay for equal work they get $11 and others get $20 thats a $9.00 gap and it is crazy unlike the $1.50 gap the other companys have with each other. But they should all get paid the same or atleast the $1.50 gap is liveable.

"

Not so Political wrote on May 14, 2008 6:43 AM:

" You people should be happy that you have a job. Keep it up and the mexicans will be delivering concrete and you will be standing in line on washington street at the soup kitchen. "

just a thought 2 wrote on May 13, 2008 9:24 PM:

" to floyd, who was it that broke the pilots strike years ago?
"

floyd wrote on May 13, 2008 7:59 PM:

" What's wrong with this picture. Union workers support the democrat party that supports ILLEGAL immigrants that are NON union and take jobs away from US citizens.
Then it all gets blamed on the republicans when they lose their jobs.


"
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