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| From the Editors of Concrete Products | |
| A Penton Media Publication | |
| October 16, 2007 | |
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Table of Contents NLRB boosts Agg Industries' $1 million suit against Teamsters local Former Advance Mixer chief at center of Iraq contractor probe Segmental spec no surprise for future I-35W bridge Tindall replaces Katrina-leveled Gulf Coast plant Suwannee American, St. Marys parent Votorantim acquires Prestige Group Industry leaders define sustainable development position Landscape architects dig LEED-modeled rating system NSSGA pinpoints future transportation system Florida group sets Safety, Skills Competition To read about our privacy policy concerning your email address, click here Welcome to CONCRETE CURRENTS, the electronic newsletter from Concrete Products magazine. For additional industry news, technology, and highlights from the latest issue of Concrete Products, please visit www.concreteproducts.com Submissions for upcoming issues of CONCRETE CURRENTS or Concrete Products can be directed to Editor Don Marsh, don.marsh@penton.com or 312/840-8483. ADVERTISEMENT 
Click Here for Concrete Products new Video Player NLRB boosts Agg Industries' $1 million suit against Teamsters local Sources: National Labor Relations Board; U.S. District Court for Northern District of Indiana, Ft. Wayne; CP staff In a newly published decision, NLRB Administrative Law Judge Michael Rosas finds that Chauffeurs, Teamsters and Helpers Local 414 engaged in unlawful picketing and strikes against Aggregate Industries-Central Region's northern Indiana operations during an April-July 2007 period. The late-September decision supports contentions in a lawsuit the company filed against Local 414 three weeks prior in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Ft. Wayne Division, seeking reimbursement of $1 million-plus in damages and legal costs tied to unfair labor practices. The suit charges that the union sought to apply terms of a collective bargaining agreement (May 2003-April 2008) covering 11 drivers at two ready mixed plants in Angola and Wolcotville to employees of Klink Concrete, a nonunion, Waterloo, Ind., operator whose assets Aggregate Industries acquired in early April. Teamsters 414 had filed a grievance on the Klink representation matter; separate grievances alleged contract violations related to Aggregate Industries' transfer of an idle Angola plant truck to the Klink location, and use of a supervisor for two hours of forklift duty despite a bargaining unit member's availability. After a joint management and union committee deadlocked on arbitration measures, Teamsters 414 commenced 84 days of picketing at the two Aggregate Industries plants whose drivers it represents, plus seven other northern Indiana ready mixed operations whose drivers are represented by Teamsters 364. Ambulatory picketing took place at Aggregate Industries-Central Region headquarters in Kalamazoo, Mich., and aggregate operations in Battle Creek and Chelsea, Mich., plus sister facilities in Minnesota's Twin Cities. Picketing ceased with a July 13 preliminary injunction from U.S. District Court Judge Theresa Springmann responding to an NLRB petition on Aggregate Industries' behalf. The subsequent lawsuit contends that the picketing disrupted the work of Aggregate Industries' employees, customers and suppliers, and spurred cancellation of business from customers seeking to avoid picketing at their own sites. Judge Springmann will hear the case. ADVERTISEMENT  Click here for a New Digital Edition of Concrete Products Former Advance Mixer chief at center of Iraq contractor probe Sources: U.S. House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform; Blackwater USA, Moyock, N.C.; CP staff The head of an investor group that owned Ft. Wayne, Ind.-based Advance Mixer from 1999-2001 has surfaced as a contractor on a grand stage far from concrete. Erik Prince, who attempted to apply best auto parts production practices to front-discharge mixer truck manufacturing, recently testified at a House Government Oversight and Reform Committee hearing to examine the mission and performance of his firm, Blackwater USA, as a private military contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan. "Blackwater shares the Committee's interest in ensuring the accountability and oversight of contractor personnel supporting U.S. operations," affirmed Prince, who cited his Navy Seal officer service leading up to 1997, when he founded Blackwater as a training company for specialized public and private security professionals. The firm is engaged in defensive security functions, he added, and has approximately 1,000 employees currently in Iraq. Regarding questions on the actions of his staff in a mid-September Baghdad incident that led to civilian fatalities, he told the committee that based on "everything we currently know, the Blackwater team acted appropriately while operating in a very complex war zone." (The State Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation are probing the incident.) ADVERTISEMENT The 2008 North American Cement Directory is now available for pre-order exclusively from Cement Americas Book Department. Order your fully updated edition today! Also available is the companion 2007 U.S. and Canadian Portland Cement Map. Both can be purchased from the Cement Americas Book Department: Phone: 888-254-4552 or (+1) 913-967-1719 Fax: 800-633-6219 or (+1) 913-967-1901 e-mail: bookorders@penton.com Also, there is still time to advertise in the 2009 North American Cement Directory. For details, please contact David Pistello at (+1) 312-840-8471 or david.pistello@penton.com Item ID: MCNACD08 Segmental spec no surprise for future I-35W bridge Sources: Minnesota Department of Transportation; CP staff The joint venture holding a $234 million contract to replace the Interstate 35W Mississippi River bridge plans by month's end to open a St. Paul yard to fabricate segments for barge delivery to the Minneapolis site. Flatiron-Manson was officially awarded the contract Oct. 8 from MnDOT, which unveiled a segmental concrete design to replace a steel truss structure that collapsed Aug. 1. The preliminary design calls for a four-span structure with girders of wide parabolic profile. The 504-ft. main span will have precast segments, while the approach spans will be cast in place. Most of the proposed bridge's components will be built in Minnesota using local materials and labor, notes Flatiron-Manson project manager Peter Sanderson. The contractor's lead designer is Tallahassee, Fla.-based Figg Bridge Engineers Inc., a seasoned segmental-concrete practitioner that proposes an "Arches, Water, Reflection" theme for the bridge, lighting and landscaping. "In addition to designing the best and safest bridge, we want to create a bridge that reflects the values of this community," says firm President and Director of Bridge Art Linda Figg. "[Our] concept was designed to complement and highlight the new bridge's surroundings and properly remember those lost in the August 1 tragedy." "One of the unique aspects is the extent to which Minnesotans will help shape the final design," says MnDOT's Jon Chiglo, I-35W bridge project manager. "Figg will invite the public to review various options and give input on what they would like to see in the final bridge design." Tindall replaces Katrina-leveled Gulf Coast plant Sources: Tindall Corp., Spartanburg, S.C.; CP staff Tindall officials anticipate their new Moss Point, Miss., precast/prestressed plant will be fully operational by December, providing structural and architectural product throughout the Gulf region. Equipped with automated mix delivery and reinforcing-steel fabrication, the $24 million plant replaces a waterfront operation in nearby Biloxi that was decimated in August 2005 by Hurricane Katrina. Tindall plans a formal open house at the 95,000-sq.-ft. plant and envisions a near-term payroll in Mississippi of 100-plus production, engineering, project management, sales, estimating and business development staff. One of the largest privately held precast/prestressed operators, Tindall also operates South Carolina (headquarters), Conley, Ga., and Petersburg, Va., plants. Suwannee American, St. Marys parent Votorantim acquires Prestige Group Sources: Votorantim Cementos, Sao Paulo; CP staff Brazilian cement giant Votorantim reported earlier this month that Votorantim Cement North America (VCNA) has assumed full ownership of the Prestige Group of Companies, a West Palm Beach-based supplier of gunite installation services and ready mixed concrete with Florida, North Carolina, Texas and California operations. "Prestige's Florida assets complement our existing [business] and offer [an expansion] platform," notes Erik Madsen, chief executive office of VCNA and its charter business, St. Marys Cement of Toronto. The Prestige deal continues a Florida ramp-up VCNA began with a 50 percent stake in Suwannee American Cement, near Jacksonville, for which it is now managing partner. VCNA likewise holds half of Suwannee-integrated Trinity Materials, with six northern Florida ready mixed plants. Jacksonville road builder Anderson Columbia Construction is its cement and concrete partner. Industry leaders define sustainable development position Source: ACI Strategic Materials Development Council, Farmington Hills, Mich. Convening recently in San Diego for the first of two Concrete Sustainability Road-Mapping Workshops, SDC members formulated plans for the industry to take proactive measures in ensuring that concrete is designed, specified, produced and installed with an eye toward environmentally and socially responsible goals and improved quality of life. The gathering drew more than 40 representatives from industry suppliers, manufacturers, trade associations, architectural and engineering firms, and contractors "The Council is providing a unique opportunity to collectively define concrete's role in sustainable development, including continually improving [its] environmental footprint," says SDC Managing Director Doug Sordyl. "Developing a common vision and road map of specific actions and resources needed is essential, and the diversity of the concrete industry will be beneficial in moving toward that vision." Participants have committed to continue their work toward developing a comprehensive road map; they invite additional stakeholders to attend a second workshop, Nov. 29-30, in St. Louis. -- www.concreteSDC.org Landscape architects dig LEED-modeled rating system Source: American Society of Landscape Architects, Washington, D.C. During its 2007 Expo in San Francisco, ASLA announced development of a new rating system for sustainable landscape design. Taking a cue from the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system for a building's environmental impact, the Sites Initiative will measure the sustainability of designed landscapes of all types, including public, commercial, and residential projects. The Council is lending its support to this project and plans to adopt the Sustainable Sites metrics into LEED. "This will provide the missing link for green building standards," said ASLA CEO Nancy Somerville. "Developers, designers, owners and public officials will now have the tools at hand to significantly increase sustainability in the built environment." In addition to ASLA and USGBC, program partners include the Environmental Protection Agency's GreenScapes Program; National Recreation and Parks Association; American Society of Civil Engineers' Environment and Water Resources Institute; National Association of County and City Health Officials; and, University of Texas Center for Sustainable Development. -- www.sustainablesites.org NSSGA pinpoints future transportation system Source: National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, Alexandria, Va. As Congress moves towards surface transportation funding reauthorization in 2009, NSSGA cites in a new booklet, "Recommendations for the Future of America's Surface Transportation Network," these key points: 1) America's transportation infrastructure is old and requires significant investment to maintain and improve the current system; 2) It is imperative the country develop a bold, new, long-term, multi-modal vision for the nation's transportation infrastructure system in the 21st century that reflects societal changes, economic imperatives, technological advances, environmental concerns and national security needs; 3) No one option is likely to provide the necessary funding to meet the needs of the nation's surface transportation infrastructure in the future. Options must include increasing the user fee on gasoline, tax incentive bonding and public private partnerships. And, 4) Policy makers at all levels of government need to ensure access to ample, affordable supplies of aggregates, the primary component of transportation infrastructure, and support research essential to development of next-generation construction materials. NSSGA is working with commissions looking at the nation's transportation infrastructure and new ways of financing to pursue. It will continue its efforts in tandem with partners in the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) and Americans for Transportation Mobility (ATM) to assist Congress in SAFETEA reauthorization. Florida group sets Safety, Skills Competition Sources: Florida Concrete & Products Association, Orlando; CP staff FC&PA has scheduled its 11th Annual Safety and Skills Competition for Saturday, November 10, at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. Perhaps the most comprehensive state group event of its kind, the competition encompasses challenges for employees in ready mixed and concrete block plant environments. Participants will be tested on skills that include mixer truck driving, preventive maintenance, forklift truck and front-end loader operation. Additional information can be obtained from FC&PA's Kerry Teague, KTeague@fcpa.org, or 407/895-9333. |
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