Inability to reach agreement on certain health benefits and pension issues has prompted work stoppage at some major construction projects throughout the Kansas City area.</p><p>The labor contract between Pipefitters Local 533 and the Mechanical Contractors Association of Kansas City expired at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.</p><p>The union placed pickets in Wyandotte County at the University of Kansas Hospital and the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway, in Jackson County at the Honeywell nuclear weapons parts plant, and in Johnson County at the John Deere facility, along with a few other sites.</p><p>The mechanical contractors group proposed changes in the funding of the Pipefitters&#x2019; pension plan and a different funding level for the health benefits plan available to the newest Local 533 apprentices. The group negotiates on behalf of about three dozen contractors in the area. </p><p>The union has about 1,600 members, including retirees. </p><p>Union organizer Scott Grandon said work continues at many area sites because &#x201C;we&#x2019;ve had a lot of contractors come in and sign an interim agreement with us that allows them to continue working with us.&#x201D;</p><p>Michael Amash, attorney for the union, said those signers &#x201C;show that the terms and the contract the union is willing to work under are reasonable and that the union is eager to sign with more contractors to get more work going.&#x201D;</p><p>Amash said the union thinks its pension and health funds are healthy and don&#x2019;t need to be changed.</p><p>Bob Looman, executive director of the contractors association, said the contractors want language in the labor contract that says the union pension plan will be fully funded by June 1, 2018, to help ensure that the contractors &#x201C;aren&#x2019;t stuck with unfunded liability.&#x201D;</p><p>Looman said the association &#x201C;is kind of confused that these are sticking points to the point that it&#x2019;s generated into a strike.&#x201D;</p><p>Grandon said union members will not allow any air conditioning to go down in hospitals or nursing homes nor impede any cellphone tower operations. He also noted that some members continue working under no-strike clauses in national agreements.</p><p>Looman said that contractors who have signed interim agreements with the union are in violation of their membership agreement. But, he said, everyone &#x201C;wants to be more competitive on bid day so that we can secure more jobs and employ more pipefitters.&#x201D;</p><p>Both sides said there is no move yet to return to the bargaining table.