Battle of the unions likely if strike hurts contractors.

As the Transportation Workers Union was trying to settle matters with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority last week, New York's construction industry seethed with ire.

With traffic restrictions preventing building materials from getting to job sites, many Manhattan construction projects--including all those within the World Trade Center site--had to be put on hold, with some contractors facing possible penalties for falling behind schedules.

"This has had a major impact on those union workers who won't get paid because we could not get materials into Manhattan to continue building projects that were underway," said Louis Coletti, president of the Building Trades Employers' Association. "The thing that is of major concern to us is that if owners [are covered] for liquidated damages in their contracts and our schedules are delayed, we'll have to strongly consider potential lawsuits against the TWU. We didn't cause these delays--they have, with an illegal strike."

According to a spokesperson for the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center, the damages incurred downtown were not extensive as of last Thursday, but would reach epic proportions if the strike continued.

"Obviously, this hasn't been a long strike, but if it continues much longer, the effect will be devastating," she said. "We'll have a better idea of the damage this has caused next week."

But though getting supplies into the City has been a major issue, it seems that most construction workers have made a concerted effort to get to work last week.

"I have a tremendously good showing in my office and we are way downtown," said Keith Behnke, vice president of operations with Sciame Construction. "The project sites have been inconvenienced because of the restrictions on commercial traffic, but New Yorkers are a resourceful crowd and they have been car-pooling ]and finding different ways to get to work.]"

Behnke wasn't certain, however, whether they would be able to continue showing a stiff upper lip if the strike goes on for another week.

"This has been taxing on people, they are tired," he pointed out. "They are working past through right now, but I am not sure if they will be able to keep it up."

According to Coletti, when it came to Manhattan projects many contractors told their employees to stay at home altogether.

"It didn't make sense for us to have union construction workers on the sites if they couldn't work," he noted.