Dive Brief:
- Teamsters Local 439 voted to approve a contract for 35 workers at Republic Services’ Forward Landfill in Manteca, California, the union confirmed Monday. It’s the first Teamsters-negotiated contract for that group of workers, though the union has represented drivers in the region for several years.
- The new contract secures a pay bump and expanded benefits for the workers. It also brought an end to picket lines extended out of solidarity to several West Coast markets, including Seattle and California’s Bay Area.
- Four other chapters remain on strike from Republic Services in separate labor disputes across the country, a spokesperson for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters confirmed. The union escalated its negotiating tactics beginning July 1 due to what it feels are slow negotiations and stall tactics from Republic Services.
Dive Insight:
The strike impacted service at Republic Services’ Forward Landfill in Manteca, California. Open for nearly half a century, the facility spans 400 acres and takes in about 4,000 tons of waste per day, according to a company web page. The landfill was owned by Allied Waste prior to Republic Services' acquisition of the company in 2008.
In a statement, Republic Services said it met its goal of reaching a “fair and competitive” agreement for the landfill workers. The company also said it was working with local officials to “be fully caught up” on collections by the end of the week.
The landfill workers began organizing about eight months ago, Teamsters Local 439 Secretary-Treasurer Sal Lomeni said. He said the two sides exchanged more than a dozen proposals without seeing progress, which prompted the union to vote for a strike.
“We're only talking 35 people, and we weren't asking that much. They're greedy, they're just plain greedy,” Lomeni said of Republic.
The contract was approved by 100% of the striking workers. It ensures that their take-home pay will increase by more than 10% in the first year, Lomeni confirmed. The workers will also switch to the Teamsters’ own health plan; Lomeni said some workers with families were paying more than $300 per week for health care expenses, but they will be paying closer to $10 per week on the new plan.
Other benefits in the new agreement include increasing workers’ personal protective equipment allowance from $100 to $350 per year, earning the right to join a picket line in solidarity with other locals in future strikes and other job security and time off improvements.
Republic workers represented by Teamsters decided to honor Manteca’s picket line in areas across the West Coast, including in King and Snohomish counties in Washington. Of the five locals that went on strike in recent weeks, Teamsters Local 439 is the only chapter seeking a contract for landfill workers. Teamsters-represented workers at Republic Services’ Youngstown, Ohio, landfill also began picketing in solidarity with striking workers last week, according to the union.
More than a dozen municipalities in California’s Bay Area also saw service disruptions as Teamsters workers joined the picket line. That led local officials in Daly City and Fairfield to publicly threaten legal action against Republic Services for breach of contract.
A spokesperson for Supervisor John Gioia, who leads the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, said in a statement to Waste Dive on Monday that the county would continue to pursue financial relief from Republic following the disruption.
After Local 439 voted to approve the contract, garbage collection resumed on Monday in areas of California and Washington where Teamsters had previously picketed in solidarity.
Teamsters Local 25 in the Boston area, the largest chapter on strike, remains far apart from Republic Services in negotiations. It’s unclear when the two parties will return to the table in that dispute.
