The union representing New York City's crane operators ended its strike yesterday after reaching a four-year contract settlement that calls for increased productivity and raises of more than 20 percent. The strike by the International Union of Operating Engineers began last Saturday and shut down hundreds of construction projects because the work done by the operating engineers was so crucial.
See "Strike by Crane Operators Ends With 4-Year Agreement", Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times, July 9, 2006