Threatened Garbage Strike On Hold, For Now

KGO - Oct. 25 (KGO) -- A threatened garbage strike in Alameda County won't start today but a walkout by landfill workers is still possible later this week.

If they strike, garbage truck drivers say they will honor it.

Negotiators are meeting again today to try and work out a deal.

ILWU Local 6 Secretary-Treasurer Fred Pecker reported Tuesday that Alameda County garbage workers have been working under an extension of an expired contract for more than 15 months and negotiations for a new contract have made little, if any, progress.

"Right now, negotiations are going nowhere," said Pecker.

If negotiations don't result in a new contract agreement, Alameda County garbage workers could walk out as early as Friday morning.

Local landfills run by Waste Management, Inc. that would be affected by the potential strike are the Altamont Landfill, Fremont's Tri-Cities Landfill and the Davis Street Transfer Station in San Leandro.

The Alameda County Central Labor Council and the garbage truck drivers of Teamsters Local 70 in Alameda County and Local 350 in San Francisco have also sanctioned the strike, which would include South San Francisco garbage truck drivers that haul trash across the bay to the Altamont Landfill.

According to Pecker, San Francisco garbage workers represented by Teamsters Local 350 are currently negotiating with Nor Cal Waste Systems to help divert trash from San Francisco and South San Francisco until the ILWU Local 6 dispute is resolved. In all, as many as 900 Bay Area garbage workers could end up striking Wednesday, he said.

Pecker said that talks between garbage workers and Waste Management, Inc. have stalled because Waste Management is demanding an increase in health care co-pays, a two-tier wage system that would allegedly pay new employees less, and what Pecker says are "unacceptably small wage increases."

"We are looking to maintain that there is a progression of wage increases from when people start working, among other things," said Pecker.

Alameda County garbage workers represented by ILWU Local 6 voted nearly unanimously Sept. 29 to strike if negotiations fail, said Pecker.

While Alameda County Waste Management Municipal Affairs Manager David Tucker was reluctant to comment until a contract agreement is reached, he did mention that medical coverage is a major issue.

"Like with most companies, the issue of health care is important," he said. "Contributions are important to Waste Management's viability and it is definitely an issue on the table right now."

Negotiations between Waste Management and ILWU Local 6 are planned to go on today and Tuesday with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services.

"Hopefully we can iron out the issues before a strike is necessary," said Tucker. "Anything could change within 24 hours."

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