Strike halts Round Lake High expansion, renovation project
Round Lake Area Unit District 116 officials say they have a "huge concern" over the halt of construction on a $29 million high school expansion and renovation because of a sheet metal workers strike.
Other construction trades honored a Sheet Metal Workers' Local 73 picket line Thursday morning outside Round Lake High School's rear entrance, according to District 116, thus stopping the project midstream. The strikers were gone by late morning.
"The Round Lake High School construction project is essentially on hold until contract negotiations are settled," District 116 said in a statement issued by spokeswoman Heather Bennett. "This strike is a huge concern for our school district as the construction project timeline is very tight, with plans to open the school with all areas of construction completed by August 18."
Sheet Metal Workers' Local 73 covers all of Cook and Lake counties with about 4,400 members. The strike began Wednesday after the second rejection of a tentative contract agreement with the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association.
Local 73's contract with the association, which has 1,834 member firms, expired Tuesday.
Tony Adolfs, a spokesman for the association's Chicago-area chapter, said both sides are expected to resume negotiations Friday. He said the three-year tentative agreement voted down by union members Tuesday called for 3 percent wage and fringe benefit increases annually.
Union president and business manager Rocco Terranova did not return a message seeking comment.
District 116 officials stressed the strike is not connected to the Round Lake High renovation and expansion, which began about a year ago.
Round Lake High was built for 1,370 students, but it housed about 2,100 in 2015-16. Officials said the expansion will bring the capacity to 2,288 students.
IHC Construction Cos. of Elgin is overseeing the project. Crews initially focused on additions such as 24 classrooms, a courtyard and four science, technology, engineering and mathematics laboratories.
Renovations to the existing structure started in earnest after the school year ended May 18. Some of the interior renovations listed by District 116 include a business incubator laboratory, kitchen, front entrance and other common spaces areas.
District 116 officials said the construction project has been on time and within budget.
"We are hopeful that this (labor) issue is settled quickly so that work may continue and that it may be completed on time," District 116 statement said.
Adolfs said hundreds of construction projects in Cook and Lake counties were affected by the strike Thursday.