Pickets go down at KC’s Arrowhead Stadium

? The cement finishers’ union went on strike Wednesday morning, bringing an unexpected halt to construction at Kauffman and Arrowhead stadiums.

By Wednesday afternoon, however, the pickets were down as negotiations continued.

Mike Smith, chairman of the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority, said he was awakened about 4 a.m. Wednesday with word of the action. He said he hoped to resolve the dispute and resume the $600 million renovation project on Thursday.

Smith said about 14 cement finishers had idled more than 200 workers. For several weeks, there had been worries that carpenters and ironworkers might strike the project, putting in jeopardy the home schedule of the NFL Kansas City Chiefs. But they both reached agreement on Tuesday evening with a builders group, a few hours before their contracts were to expire.

The action by the cement finishers was entirely unexpected.