Joe Bairos, secretary-treasurer of Local 251, said he's looking forward to improving working conditions for the new Teamsters. Sanitation work is one of the most dangerous jobs in America.
Marco Madeiros, a 20-year front-load driver at Allied/Republic, said he and his co-workers have been working hard and serving their communities for years. He said,
Some of us have been here 20, 30 years. We had enough of the bullying and favoritism, so we chose to organize and form a union to negotiate with the company as a group.Said Manny Alexander, a 10-year residential driver:
From the beginning, this was always about respect. Allied/Republic did not respect us and the work we do. Now we can negotiate a contract with the company that will protect our rights and stop the unfair treatment.David W. Laughton, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Joint Council 10 in New England, said it can be scary to stand up to a huge company like Allied/Republic. Said Laughton,
Republic has been bullying and harassing workers in Fall River and all across the country. These workers put their bodies in harm's way every day to protect the public health. They should be proud of themselves for standing strong and sticking together to fight for their rights.Republic Services/Allied Waste is America’s second largest solid waste and recycling company. In 2011, Republic earned $8.2 billion in revenues and declared profits of $589 million, up 15 percent per share from 2010.
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.
