By Jill Colvin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MIDTOWN — Construction on the Diamond District's International Gem Tower and other major projects could grind to a halt if crane workers and contractors fail to reach a contract agreement by midnight.
The New York Building Congress said in a statement Thursday that "a strike appears imminent" as both sides continue to negotiate down to the wire on compensation and work rules overseeing two of the city’s operating engineers' unions.
Local 14 and 15 of the International Union of Operating Engineers are responsible for work including operating cranes and heavy construction, including operating machinery, like backhoes, oiling and welding.
Representatives for the unions did not respond to requests for comment as negotiations continued through the day.
"We're talking about thousands of jobs and then an economic multiplier well beyond that," warned Richard Anderson, president of the Building Congress, an umbrella organization that is pushing for new work rules they hope will bring down construction costs in the city.
The group argues that building costs remain "stubbornly high" because of the high cost of labor, threatening to stall the city's real estate recovery.
They also warn a strike could threaten $10 billion in construction work.
Construction sites have been preparing for a possible strike by stockpiling supplies on the upper floors of buildings, Anderson said. He said that if a strike continues, construction would begin to shut down in a couple of weeks.
The fate of construction at the World Trade Center is still in unclear. While some fear that work there could slow, Crains New York Business quoted a source who said that workers were unlikely to walk off the job there as the Sept. 11 anniversary nears.
The Port Authority did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Operating engineers are among the highest paid in the industry. According to the City Comptroller's Office, some backhoe operators can make more than $90 an hour, while crane operators can make earn up to $100.
The last operating engineers strike was in 2006, when workers staged a week-long walkout just before the Fourth of July, Crain’s reported.
