Overwhelming ratification on strong new contract
This weekend marked a huge victory for a group of nearly 400 Teamsters Local 174 members working for Recology. They came together in a crowded room to listen and vote on their new contract, ending up with a vote result over 95% in favor of this historic, record-breaking contract. The new Agreement contains more than 90 improvements to language, and some of the strongest economic gains this industry has ever seen.
Some of the highlights to the language upgrades included greater seniority rights, job bidding procedures, paid days off for inclement weather, greater protections for accidents while operating in inclement weather situations, payroll error penalty pay, bargaining unit work protections with penalty pay for violations, greater discipline protections, and stronger layoff and recall language, among others improvements.
On the economic side, workers will receive full maintenance of benefits on their top-tier healthcare, huge pension increases resulting in $5.00 dollars an hour over five years, and wage increases of 16% in the first year for most and 43% over five years that will set the bar for the rest of the industry. In other economic items we added three extra holidays, made improvements to vacation weeks and increased pay, provided double-time pay after ten hours per day, and the first ever inclusion of triple-time pay after thirteen hours. We also added a new Teamster Legal Services benefit, along with many more economic gains.
“This is one of the best contracts this Local Union has ever produced and is the direct result of the members trusting in their rank & file committee and the leadership, as well as the plan and process that was outlined for this successful campaign. This Employer knew the members were willing to put up a fight to get the deal they have earned and deserved,” said Teamsters Local 174 Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks. “Every single person who helped negotiate this agreement deserves all the accolades as their relentlessness and tenacity got us over the finish line, and produced a contract that this group was proud to ratify.”