Teamster Waste Workers in Columbus, Buffalo Reach New Agreements With Republic Services

News provided by

International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Apr 18, 2012, 03:06 ET

Workers Ratify Contracts With Wage Increases And Health Care And Retirement Protections

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Teamster sanitation workers at Republic Services/Allied Waste—the nation's second largest solid waste and recycling company—have reached agreements with the company in Columbus, Ohio and Buffalo, N.Y.

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The agreements guarantee wage increases and health care and retirement protections over the next several years. In Columbus, the agreement includes a commitment by Republic to take concrete steps to achieve a workforce that reflects the diverse community in which it operates. The agreements come on the heels of a settlement for workers in Mobile, Ala. following a week-long work stoppage that affected garbage and recycling collection in Mobile, Columbus, Buffalo and Seattle, Wash.

Employees ratified the agreements on Sunday, April 15. After more than nine months of negotiations, these workers are eager to shift their focus back to what they do best—servicing their customers and keeping their neighborhoods clean and safe.

"Sanitation work is one of the most dangerous jobs in America," said Teamsters Solid Waste, Recycling and Related Industries Division Director Robert Morales. "The employees are the ones who risk their lives every day to protect the public health. It's a very profitable business, and members deserve a share in the business success they help to create. We are very pleased that we were able to reach agreements in Buffalo and Columbus that achieve wage and benefit protections our members deserve."

The Teamsters represent approximately 9,000 employees at Republic Services and its subsidiaries at more than 150 facilities throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @TeamsterPower.

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters