Nearly two-week strike by dump truck drivers threatens holidays for Teamster workers
Despite the cold, wet, windy Seattle weather, 34 dump truck drivers are still on an Unfair Labor Practice strike at Gary Merlino Construction. The strike is ongoing after nearly two weeks because Merlino’s chief negotiator, Charlie Oliver, is trying to make a name for himself with his boss, the namesake owner of the company. The struggle of blue collar workers against their inordinately wealthy 1%er boss has been classic fodder for many a holiday film, and in every film, the audience knows to root for the workers over the boss. In this particular holiday tale, Charlie Oliver is the Ebenezer Scrooge and these 34 workers are the ones having their holidays jeopardized by a labor dispute with no end in sight.
This particular labor dispute is most offensive because of the almost direct targeting of the 34 Teamsters Local 174 employees affected. The workers are part of a larger group of construction Teamsters all covered by the Associated General Contractors (AGC) Agreement, which is jointly negotiated to cover nearly 500 Teamsters at six different Teamster Local Unions. The only Employer refusing to agree to the terms of the joint agreement is Gary Merlino Construction, with Merlino subordinate Charlie Oliver in charge of the contract negotiations.
The main sticking points in the negotiations include contract language that would make healthcare for retired Teamsters more affordable, and contract language that would discourage forced Saturday work for drivers. Oliver worries that if he agrees to the inexpensive-but-critical retirement healthcare package, too many workers will retire – a position that makes unfortunately clear that he intends to exploit these workers as much and as long as humanly possible, refusing to give them something that might actually allow them to retire before their bodies are completely destroyed by the work they do. Driving a dump truck, after all, is very hard on the human body – especially when the truck is empty and every bump in the road starts to feel like a minor car wreck.
“I’m just so disappointed with this whole situation, after almost 25 years working for Gary Merlino,” said one worker, asking to remain anonymous. “We’ve helped build his house, for God’s sake, and he’s still letting his lackey shove us all out in the cold wind during Christmas because of what, pride? It makes me more sad than anything else.”
“This whole ugly situation can be ended with one small stroke of a pen by company owner Gary Merlino,” said Teamsters Local 174 Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks. “This is wrong and foolish. Let’s go back to the table and settle this so your hardworking employees can have the holiday you know they’ve earned.”
Founded in 1909, Teamsters Local 174 represents 8,600 working men and women in Seattle and the surrounding areas. “Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TeamstersLocal174.