Much of the UCC stock was held by the union officers who started with George. At some point the US attorney’s office began an investigation into union reps owning stock in companies they had agreements with. When the dust settled, the labor guys concluded that it didn’t leave a positive appearance and they would divest their stock. While some turned it over to family members, George was able to buy enough to own the controlling share of the company. This permitted him to make the decisions he felt were best for the future of Union Concrete.
This sent him into a search for a field that let him be general contracting without competing with his present customers.
Having a hard time finding a date but it was certainly Friday the 13th. As told by Red Underhill:
They were pouring a bottom slab of a sewer lift station- excavation was maybe 20 feet deep. While pouring directly from the mixer truck into chutes, the truck was placed as close to the edge of the bank as possible. At some point the bank started to give way. The driver jumped in the truck to pull ahead, and the churning of the wheels created a severe movement. The crew had been standing in the rebar mat and were unable to run. Red said they were helpless watching the truck come down into the hole.
By some miracle, nobody was positioned where the truck landed. While three went to the hospital, no one had serious injuries.
When telling the story Red said that it had happened so fast, there wasn’t time to be scared. Unlike the chilling ambulance ride which lasted much longer.
I guess this story makes us appreciate OSHA no matter how aggravating they can be.
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