Concrete operations halted citywide

In recent months, New York City has been throbbing with the pulse of construction and the rumble and roar of concrete-mixing trucks. But the strike has all but halted work at scores of sites, from the Freedom Tower at ground zero to modest apartment buildings, idling thousands of construction workers and unnerving developers and contractors in all five boroughs.

Drivers’ Walkout Has Ripple Effect Across City

The union that called the walkout, Local 282 of the Teamsters union, is one of the most powerful in the region. Just a few hundred drivers are able to shut down most of the city’s multibillion-dollar construction industry.

In case you forgot:

Concrete is used not just for building foundations, but also for floors and walls — it is poured into plywood forms to shape it, with steel rebar used to strengthen it. Concrete is also used for highways and other public works.