Preliminary agreement prevents concrete strike in the Lower Mainland

It does not look like there will be a strike in the building materials industry in the Lower Mainland.

Early Friday morning, a tentative agreement was reached between Teamsters Local 213, the union representing workers at Heidelberg Materials, and the employer.

According to an unofficial social media account of some Teamsters members, a vote on ratification is scheduled to take place on Sunday.

Details of the new deal are expected to be released on Saturday.

The move came after the union issued a 72-hour strike notice on Tuesday. Heidelberg Materials told CityNews on Wednesday that “the company continues to discuss outstanding issues with the union.” It added that a mediator is “working toward a resolution with ongoing negotiations that benefits both parties and allows us to move forward.”

Social media previously reported that the union was demanding better wages, job security and stable pensions for its members.

Heidelberg Materials is expected to cover about a third of the region’s concrete needs.

-With files from Michael Williams