WARREN, Mich. – Wednesday was another inactive day for Metro Detroit's major road construction projects as the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association works to hire non-union workers to get the projects moving again.
MITA is advertising for the jobs, such as experienced excavator operators, to work during a possible job-action at a construction company in Michigan.
The job pays $57.26 an hour with a 60-hour guarantee for someone who deploys on the assignment and is ready, willing and able to work each scheduled shift.
The contractors have the keys to the idled heavy equipment, but in order to get it up and running again, they need to find the non-union employees they've promised to hire.
MITA told Local 4 it has already brought in some workers who are doing minor work such as saw cutting, but the affected construction sites are still silent across Metro Detroit so far.
Activity is expected to ramp up at the I-75 Rouge River project, as it's the furthest behind schedule.
There are also questions about whether the contractors will be able to find enough help. Union officials said the construction industry nationwide is booming right now.
MITA admitted it is bringing in as many outside engineers as possible, but it might just be to button up job sites for the winter.
The operating engineers aren't budging in their desire not to negotiate with MITA.
"It is ridiculous," spokesperson Dan McKernan said. "Our members have been working since June without a contract, without negotiations. So for all intents and purposes, they have been non-union employees. We don't see what they're gaining with non-union, out-of-state employees. MITA should bring our workers back and sort out the contract in the winter."