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Allegheny Co. prepared if road workers go on strike

PITTSBURGH — Allegheny County officials said they’re prepared if Public Works Department employees go on strike this week.

If about 50 county employees who drive trucks and snowplows strike this week, snow removal on 640 miles of county roads will not be affected, according to the execution director.

On Sunday night, the union representing the county’s snowplow operators and maintenance workers voted to strike as early as Friday, after working without a contract for just over 14 months.

“The county has presented a fair offer, but the expectations of the Teamsters have been beyond what our other unions have bargained for. We fully expect to resolve this amicably,” the Allegheny County solicitor said in a statement.

The director of Public Works said, “The county will continue to provide services to our residents, keeping our roads clear and salted in the event of adverse weather.”

Channel 11 News has learned that many of the county roads that would be directly affected are in the North Hills area, including Babcock Boulevard, Evergreen Road and a 6-mile stretch of Thompson Run Road.

Time spent on an untreated street could mean the difference between life or death in Marci Brown’s line of work in hospice care.

“Part of our job is getting out to see patients that are in their homes and in their facilities. It’s a big concern when the roads aren’t clean and we can’t get to our patients,” Brown said.