The confrontation sharpened only a few days before when the Associated General Contractors, the association of bosses who run most construction in the area, ran a full page ad in the Sunday edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch threatening to "move forward in the most expedient manner to obtain concrete for our projects." At that point talks had been deadlocked for three weeks.

In response to these union-busting threats, representatives of Local 682 announced at a press conference they would begin picketing job sites starting Monday morning, August 14. Throughout most of the strike picketing was limited to MDA-affiliated sand and cement yards.

At some job sites, like Barnes-Jewish Hospital, one of the largest in the area, construction bosses set up a "dual-gate" system in a move to limit Teamster pickets to gates where scab cement trucks attempted deliveries, without affecting work of union construction workers.

Bob Carmack, a union steward and member of the Local 682 negotiating committee, said Teamsters had not picketed Barnes-Jewish Hospital because a no-strike agreement was in effect between construction unions and contractors. "As far as we were concerned, when they set up the two-gate system, they nullified the no-strike agreement. We waited until they put up the two gates; we shut down Barnes on Monday," he said.

Pickets were set up at a number of the bigger construction sites in the area where members of building trades unions honored picket lines. All told about 16 sites were shut down.

Local 682 also organized flying picket squads. When these reporters arrived at one gate to a ready-mix yard to talk toTeamster pickets over a dozen workers were on duty As soon as a scab truck left the yard half of them jumped into cars and took after it. Carmack explained, the pickets followed them "to the jobs, and appealed to the cement finishers, laborers, and other workers on a site to walk off the job."

Nathaniel Day, a striker who is Black with 27 years on the job, said that the companies' offer was for a raise of 90 cents per hour for each of five years, including both wages and benefits. "But we're holding out for $1.05. Fifteen cents doesn't sound like much of a difference, but this is the pattern that was agreed to by one company." The MDA-affiliated bosses took the position that Interface Materials Inc., the company that signed the pattern contract was a "small, minority-owned firm," and should not set the pattern. "That's just a cop-out," one striker chimed in.

The new contract will increase the wage-benefit package by $1 an hour each year. A $500 signing "bonus" was added. The contract also lengthened the probationary period for new drivers from 30 days to 45 days.

Carmack said, "I think it was the best we could do considering the length of the strike. I don't like signing bonuses, it's a one shot deal that doesn't really make up for the five-cents-an-hour raise." Over five years this would amount to $1,500. He added, "The biggest accomplishment of the strike was that we equalized the contracts in the area."

One of the 15 struck ready-mix companies, West Star, which has five drivers, refused to sign the contract. Teamsters vowed to continue to fight until they do.  
 
 
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