Cement Masons Local 527 picketing Booker Concrete’s work at NB West’s new headquarters

By TIM ROWDEN
Editor

Pacific, MO – Cement Mason’s Local 527 is picketing non-union contractor Booker Concrete, of Steelville, Mo., which is performing flatwork at signatory contractor NB West’s new headquarters building off of Historic Route 66 here near the Missouri Eastern Correctional Center. You read that right; a NON-UNION cement contractor is performing work on a signatory UNION contractor’s new office building.

NB West specializes in asphalt paving and roadwork, so hiring an outside contractor for floor work makes sense. But hiring a non-union contractor in competition with union contractors that belong to the very same union as your employees, and with which as you’re a signatory contractor, makes no sense at all.

“Who does that?” asked Local 527 Business Representative Joe Knott. “They could have called the union hall and we would have found somebody for them.”

“I just can’t believe a union contractor would hire a non-union contractor,” Business Representative Jim Renick added. “That makes no sense.”

To be clear, Local 527 is picketing Booker Concrete, not NB West. Knot said he reached out to NB West but received no response.