Work to widen the shoulders along Miller Road and Fletcher Bay Road has been postponed once again — this time because of a labor dispute.

The contractor for the job, Titan Earthwork, had expected to start

on the road improvement projects on Monday, Aug. 20. Workers for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 302 — the union that represents engineers, mechanics and surveyors in the construction industry — went on strike in Western Washington on Aug. 21.

The contract for Local 302 and Associated General Contractors expired May 31, and workers are seeking better wages, hours and working conditions.

Union officials met for a second time earlier this week with Associated General Contractors, but officials said there had been no change in the position held by the AGC.

The upgrades on Miller Road will stretch from Tolo Road to Peterson Hill Road. On Fletcher Bay Road, the work zone runs from High School Road to New Brooklyn Road.

The two projects will cost $1.38 million and be paid for mostly by two federal grants that total $1.14 million, according to the city, with the rest of the funding coming from the city’s general fund budget.

The improvements are part of Bainbridge’s Core 40 program, the 2007 plan to build a 40-mile integrated shoulder network for bikers and walkers across the island.