Evening star., 1961-02-17
Fair Weather
Building
Projects Here
But Dispute HuIts
Renewed Work on
District Stadium
By GILBERT GINIBLE
star Staff Writer

Construction activity has
shown signs Of picking up in
the Washington area in the
past two days of warm and fair
weather. But industry observers
say the big upSurge won't come
for another week or two.
And this morning, after two
days of nearly full activity at
the site of the new District
stadium now under construc-
ton, members of Teamsters
Union Local $50 threw up a
picket line shutting down all
activity there.
The dispute at the stadium
involves McCloskey & Co., gen.
eral contractor for the project,
and Teamsters who claimed
that non-union trucks deliv-
cred some material at the site.
A company spokesman said
about 600 men had gone back to
work Wednesday after a three
week delay forced by weather
conditions. The other unions
observed this mornings picket
line, the spokesman said.
Mud Slows Some Jobs
At the other area projects,
melting snow and mud have
continued to keep down ac-
tivity. However, in many in
stances, interior work has been
able to progress, bringing some
increase in the number Of con-
Struction crews back at work.
There has been some pickup
in abutment construction for
the new bridges now under
way.
Edgar L. Lickey, director Of
the District Unemployment
Compensation Board, said one
indication that work is re-
suming has been shorter lines
Of unemployed men seeking
claims this week, although
more claims are being made
now than at this time last
year.
At the District offices Of the
U. S. Employment Service, an
official said, We're not getting
one-tenth the number Of men
we were getting here q week
or two ago looking for con-
struction jobs"
The USES official added:
"Give them all two more weeks
of fair weather, and construc-
ton will be going full blast
again. It's either feast or fam
inc. Contractors will be out
hunting for men,"
Heavy Pickup Seen
General Service Administra-
tion officials, after surveying
building activity today, agreed
that in the next two weeks,
barring more bad weather, the
pickup will be heavy at Federal
construction sites.
More men are back at work
at the Central Intelligence
headquarters structure. where
snow-blocked roads had caused
most of the trouble since
storms hit. Interior work has
received an impetus there this
week. The same applies to the
work at the National Institutes
Of Health project in Bethesda.
A spokesman for John Nc
Shain. Inc, which has started
excavations for the new Civil
Service Commission Building
at Nineteenth and D streets
NV, said mud and water have
held up any full-scale resump-
ton of work at the site.
Equipment gets begged
down and we can't even pump
the water out" he said. Even
If we could roll our trucks in
and out of there we'd make a
mess in the streets and city
officials probably would get
mad at US for that"
On the other hand, the
McShain official noted, work
on buildings already "above
ground" has spurted in the
last two days.
Wet conditions have made
road construction difficult, said
r. Dana Wallace, the District
Highway Departments deputy
director In charge of construc-
ton.
At the site of the new House
Office Building, a spokesman
for the McCloskey firm said
activity has moved ahead this
week.