The key word in the headline is ‘could.’ Here’s the news, from Metro CEO Art Leahy’s daily email to staff:

Our contractor for the I-405 Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project, Kiewit Infrastructure Group, has informed us that the contractor’s Local 12 Operating Engineers Union has called a strike following unsuccessful labor negotiations to reach a new Master Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Associated General Contractors (AGC) covering the Southern California area. AGC has advised its membership to lock out this union so that there could be negotiations between the two parties to reach an across-the-board settlement. A negotiation date has not yet been set.

Kiewit has taken measures permitted by the National Labor Relations Act to continue work during the strike, and negotiations are continuing with the labor union. However, the contractor advises us that unless immediate progress is made in the negotiations, the dispute will most likely begin to negatively impact the project. Construction work affected includes surveying, soil nail drilling operations, utility relocations, and pile driving operations, among others. Kiewit has also stated that it is taking all reasonable precautions to mitigate any delays this labor dispute may cause. Some construction activity continues, and the project team does not anticipate the strike will affect the ultimate delivery of the project.