Put shovels, cranes back to work now

In the realm of instant gratification, it's been sweet to commute to work each morning lately without having to maneuver around flaggers or stop for the crane jutting into the road.

But it's time to take the long view. It's not going to seem so sweet in late November if someone is hurt because they started sliding on black ice and ended up 3 feet down in the dirt of a carved-up road project. It's not going to seem sweet in another few weeks if school sports are disrupted and school openings are delayed because of the ongoing construction workers' strike.

And so we call for an earnest effort from all to get this construction workers' strike resolved.

Now in its third week, the strike has stalled most roadwork in Illinois and there has been little negotiating this week. Talks are set for Monday between the Mid-America Regional Bargaining Association and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150.

Interestingly, a tentative deal was reached Wednesday giving workers a 3.25 percent raise between the unions and 450 smaller contractors in the Chicago Area Independent Contractors Association. Three suburban school districts also were able to cut side deals to get their work going again at Park Ridge-Niles Elementary District 64, DuPage High School District 88 and Naperville Unit District 203. School district officials cut a deal to resume work by promising to use union labor for five to 10 years, depending on the district.

But it should be noted that even with the cranes revved and running in those districts, there is an extra cost to the strike. District 203 officials said the week's delay likely will cost taxpayers at least $500,000. "It's reasonable that lost time could equate to that much or more," Tim Bickert, project manager for IHC Construction Companies, told board members. "If you want to get done, the school has to pay for it."

In another irony, at least some of the stalled work was being funded by federal tax dollars meant to stimulate the economy and, yes, put people back to work. Indeed, contractors, unions and others have been clamoring for funding for years to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure in Illinois. It seems unwise to waste precious time and funding now.

We certainly do appreciate the dangerous and difficult work done by engineers, often in extreme weather conditions. The work stoppage helps us all to remember just how important is their work. But we also empathize with those who are questioning the logic of a strike while so many among us still are unemployed, underemployed or working extra hours or extra jobs to make ends meet and pay our taxes.

The longer this work stoppage lasts, the greater the resentment will grow in the court of public perception. We urge all parties to keep at and reach a resolution as quickly as possible.