Friday, August 16, 2013

Teamster organizing victory in California

Please give a warm welcome to our 80 new brothers and sisters, drivers and mechanics at Waste Management in Carlsbad, Calif.! They voted overwhelmingly to join Local 683 in San Diego.

Todd Mendez, Local 683 secretary-treasurer, said the workers are seeking strong Teamster representation.
The company treats their people bad. The supervisors bully their workers. We will work hard to negotiate a strong first contract that will help put a stop to the mistreatment that is taking place.
Local 683 will also work to win the workers a strong pension plan, Mendez said.

On July 13, Waste Management workers in El Cajon who belong to Local 683 overwhelming ratified their first contract, which provides solid pay increases and excellent benefits. The contract covers 190 workers who joined the Teamsters in March.

The local is starting a campaign to organize about 100 workers at Waste Management in Oceanside. When Local 683 is done, they will represent 400 Waste Management workers at three locations in San Diego County.

Bob Morales, director of the Teamsters Solid Waste, Recycling and Related Industries Division, said: 
We will continue to work hard to organize waste and recycling workers across the country so that they receive the fair pay, decent benefits and improved working conditions they deserve for the extremely difficult job they do.
To our new brothers and sisters we say, Welcome to our great union!