The lockout that brought road projects to a halt three weeks ago is over and heavy equipment operators were back on many jobs Friday. The Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association says when Operating Engineers Local 324 agreed to enter mediated contract talks this winter, they decided to end the lockout. The association’s Mike Nystrom told Michigan New Network they might not get all the work done, but they’ll make the construction zones safe where they can’t finish.
“Either being finished or at least buttoned up for the winter so the driving public is not impacted,” Nystrom said.
Sources say a notification that MITA would be held financially responsible for failure to complete the contracts may have also played a role. Governor Rick Snyder is also getting a lot of credit after meetings this week with both sides. Spokesman Ari Adler says Snyder never gave up on trying to end the 23-day long lockout.
