MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – Caught in the middle of the bitter road work stoppage, a Macomb County business owner along I-696 said engineers need to get back to work fast.
The collateral damage from the work stoppage along projects such as those on I-75 and I-696 is already being felt, and small businesses are getting hurt.
Businesses along those corridors are losing lots of money, and the end of the stoppage keeps getting pushed back.
Tony Contrera, the owner of Mr. Furnace in Macomb County, said the work stoppage is costing him thousands of dollars per day.
Over the past three weeks, there hasn't been any progress on the I-696 construction project because of the lockout. The project was supposed to finish in November, but with this delay, it's unclear when work will end.
That's concerning news to business owners such as Contrera. His business is just south of I-696, so the reconstruction project has been a nightmare for him.
"It's hurting our business," Contrera said. "It really is."
Contrera said it costs him about $35 per hour to operate a single worker, and now, with drive times doubling and tripling because of traffic, he's struggling to make ends meet.
"I'm at about a $2,300 a day loss, which is almost $600,000 a year," Contrera said.
He said his customers are irritated about the long wait times. Normally, the business tries to get to customers within 30 minutes, but now, that's not happening.
"It's an hour and a half to go out and an hour and a half to go back," Contrera said.
While he knew it would be tough getting through the summer with the closure, Contrera is worried it will now last all winter long, which is busy season for Mr. Furnace. The strike has delayed the timeline of the project, and work might not be finished before the snow arrives.
"Winter is coming upon us, and we need to be able to get around," Contrera said.
As for alternate routes, they're also backed up because of other construction projects.
"We have 12 Mile closed," Contrera said. "We have 15 Mile closed. We have Drake Road closed. We have Dequindre closed."
Contrera said the only solution to the problem is to get the construction projects going again.
"The strike has to end," Contrera said. "They need to finish the freeway. They need to open up these side roads."
Local 4 was told there had been considerable progress in contract talks earlier this week, but those negotiations broke down Thursday. It's unclear if the contractors and the labor union will come to an agreement before construction season ends.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has been in Asia all week, but his office tried to oversee an agreement between the two sides. He returns this weekend.
Here is a statement from the governor's office:
"We have achieved a positive step forward in the road-building dispute. Both MITA and Operating Engineers 324 have agreed to cease the public battle in the media and attend a meeting – together – with Gov. Snyder next week. It is our hope that after a short cooling off period and with assistance from the Governor, both sides can see through their differences and focus on the vital work that needs to be completed so the motorists of Michigan can have road projects finished and their travel routes restored prior to winter. The Governor’s Office will alert you to any other updates as they become available."
Here is a statement from Mike Nystrom, the executive vice president of the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association:
"MITA is in direct conversations with high-ranking officials at the National Guard about how the industry and National Guard might work together to jumpstart road projects that have been affected by the Operating Engineers, Local 324 (OE 324) defensive lockout. MITA is surveying its members to determine specific operator needs required to temporarily replace all OE 324 members in terms of numbers, qualifications and geographical needs across the state. Due to the fact that not all operators use the same pieces of equipment, it is important for the safety of the job site and the integrity of the work that each project gets the appropriate operators for the job. Once this is determined, MITA and the National Guard will work with MDOT to determine how these equipment operators will be integrated into the contractors’ workforce. In the meantime, MITA continues to stand ready to meet with OE 324 leaders anytime to start meaningful talks."