SEATTLE - A King County Superior Court Judge has ruled in favor of striking concrete workers, who filed a lawsuit against the Seattle companies that attempted to block union members from protesting.
According to Teamsters Local 174, five concrete companies— Gary Merlino Construction, Stoneway Concrete, Cadman Materials, Inc., Lehigh Cement and CalPortland — assaulted striking members and/or "blocked union members' constitutional right to protest."
A judge also found that during the strike, there have been multiple instances "at concrete company sites where non-union drivers of trucks, leasing from or serving the companies, "have ‘charged’ into picketers thereby causing bodily injury and creating a significant danger to the picketers."
The ruling stated that one truck driver "intentionally drove a truck against a picketer who was clearly standing in front of the truck," and that another driver for Cadman Materials, Inc. "drove a truck into the timed picket line, causing physical contact with picketers and causing injury."
The court also found that the companies Cadman, Merlino and Stoneway had "failed to fully comply with an earlier order to post signage to drivers and customers alerting them of the pickets, and an order to prevent trucks from charging through picketers as they perform their timed patrolling."
The ruling comes after Teamster's Local 174 reached "good faith" agreements with two companies, as the concrete strike enters its fifth month.
The offer to return to work at these companies was in good faith and does not mean a new contract agreement has been reached.
Representatives of Teamster’s Local 174, which represents around 330 workers, say Cadman’s Seattle facility and Salmon Bay Sand & Gravel can use union drivers and haul concrete to projects of the companies' choosing.
The agreement with Cadman only affects the company’s Seattle plant but is not a contract.
Judge: Seattle concrete companies intentionally drove into striking workers at picket line
According to Teamsters Local 174, five concrete companies— Gary Merlino Construction, Stoneway Concrete, Cadman Materials, Inc., Lehigh Cement and CalPortland — assaulted striking members and/or "blocked union members' constitutional right to protest."
A judge also found that during the strike, there have been multiple instances "at concrete company sites where non-union drivers of trucks, leasing from or serving the companies, "have ‘charged’ into picketers thereby causing bodily injury and creating a significant danger to the picketers."
The ruling stated that one truck driver "intentionally drove a truck against a picketer who was clearly standing in front of the truck," and that another driver for Cadman Materials, Inc. "drove a truck into the timed picket line, causing physical contact with picketers and causing injury."
The court also found that the companies Cadman, Merlino and Stoneway had "failed to fully comply with an earlier order to post signage to drivers and customers alerting them of the pickets, and an order to prevent trucks from charging through picketers as they perform their timed patrolling."
The ruling comes after Teamster's Local 174 reached "good faith" agreements with two companies, as the concrete strike enters its fifth month.
The offer to return to work at these companies was in good faith and does not mean a new contract agreement has been reached.
Representatives of Teamster’s Local 174, which represents around 330 workers, say Cadman’s Seattle facility and Salmon Bay Sand & Gravel can use union drivers and haul concrete to projects of the companies' choosing.
The agreement with Cadman only affects the company’s Seattle plant but is not a contract.
Judge: Seattle concrete companies intentionally drove into striking workers at picket line