For nearly three months, members of Teamsters Local 631 have held the line outside Rinker Materials in Henderson, rejecting a contract they say would gut their union health insurance and pension protections. On top of that, workers are pushing for a 9% raise, and several employees have told reporters the standoff is about hanging on to coverage they depend on to care for sick children and aging parents. The mood on the line is steady but strained as families stretch strike funds and personal savings to stay out.
Union says benefits fight is the breaking point
In a Jan. 24 press release, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said Local 631 members walked off the job after negotiations stalled and the company put a "concessionary" contract on the table that would shift workers onto employer plans, according to Teamsters. Local 631 secretary-treasurer Tommy Blitsch said members "will hold the line as long as it takes."
Inside the demands and life on the line
As reported by KTNV, union business agent Francisco Miranda said Feb. 8 was the last day of bargaining and that members rejected the company’s "last, best and final" offer because it would force them to move to the employer’s insurance and 401(k). “Take away their union health insurance, take away their union pension, that’s just something the workers just can’t afford,” Miranda told the station. KTNV also reported that picketers are seeking a 9% pay increase and that worker Cesar Lozano said he relies on the union health plan to care for his 10-month-old child.
What Rinker’s Henderson plant means for local projects
Rinker Materials’ Henderson operation produces concrete pipe and box culverts used in stormwater and flood-control projects, according to Rinker Materials. The plant’s output feeds into local infrastructure contracts, and workers worry that a prolonged strike could ripple into delivery delays and missed project deadlines for contractors.
What’s next
The Teamsters say members will remain on strike until Rinker Quikrete comes back to the table in good faith and pulls back the concessionary terms, according to the union’s statement, per Teamsters. Local officials have voiced concern about how long the dispute has dragged on, and a KTNV reporter noted that the company had not responded to requests for comment as of the station’s visit.
