Heavy-equipment workers of the International Brotherhood of Operating Engineers Local 12 are on strike, leaving about 15 percent of the normal work force available to continue with the project.

In response to the strike, The Associated General Contractors of California, which represents about 600 contractors in the state that work in nonresidential construction, has locked out union workers from its member job sites.

San Bernardino Associated Governments, the county's transportation

Heavy-equipment engineers of the International Brotherhood of Operating Engineers Local 12 picket at the Base Line bridge spanning the 215 Freeway in San Bernardino on Wednesday. (Lea Reed/Correspondent)

Sanbag officials say they're worried the impasse could delay the project.

"This is a major concern of Sanbag," said agency spokeswoman Jane Dreher. "It'll hurt the public. That much longer it's incomplete and inconvenient.

"It's really hard on the motorists that go through there and the residents that live in the area."

Skanska-Rados Joint Venture, the project's general contractor, is continuing with workers that aren't part of the operators union as well as some heavy equipment owner-operators, Dreher said.

Sanbag Construction Manager Sagar Panday said 20 to 25 workers are working on the project.

Before the strike, 150 to 200 were working, he said.

This could continue for about two more weeks before heavy equipment operators will be needed for any work to continue, said Panday and another Sanbag construction manager, Mike Barnum.

Local 12's contract with the association expired July 1.

The parties had been in negotiations until talks broke down on wages and benefits about two weeks ago, said association CEO Tom Holsman.

Bill Waggoner, Local 12's businesses manager, says the union decided to strike at certain job sites because the association proposed that wages be lowered.

The association decided to lock out union workers so its member contractors could continue working on projects with workers from other unions, non-union workers or owner-operators of heavy equipment, Holsman said.

Neither Holsman nor Waggoner had an estimate of when a contract agreement might come........read more