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Carpenters Join Work Stoppage At WTC Site

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Strike or no strike, the Port Authority says the 9/11 memorial will be ready by the tenth anniversary next month.

More than two dozen carpenters joined hundreds of laborers in a job action at the World Trade Center site and other New York City projects.

The New York City District Council of Carpenters says it didn't encourage the job action.

On Monday and Tuesday, concrete workers walked off the job at the World trade Center site.

Cement worker Michael Pappalardi was among about 100 laborers participating Wednesday morning. He says they've received "no word, good or bad,'' from union officials, other than to "stand strong and wait it out.''

Members of the Concrete Workers District Council have been without a contract since July 1.

Their union also says its facing pay cuts of up to 20 percent and a full-blown strike is possible.

Port Authority Executive Director Chris Ward said Wednesday that a deal with concrete workers is imminent.

"I am very, very confident we'll have some agreement to make sure that work doesn't get delayed any further," said Ward.  

The owner of the trade center site says the work stoppage is having a minimal impact on the construction of the site's transit hub and signature skyscraper, and no impact on the Sept. 11 memorial.

Do you think it's ok to have a job action at this site? Sound off below…

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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