July 20, 2018

After contract offer overwhelmingly rejected on July 7, negotiations have resumed

On July 7, Teamster construction drivers in Western Washington rejected a contract offer covering Teamsters under the Western Washington AGC, Construction White Paper Agreements, and Local Union Hiring Halls. In the wake of that vote, the two sides returned to the bargaining table on Wednesday to continue negotiations with the goal of reaching a better offer to present to the membership.

Wednesday’s discussions centered around the contract rejection and the reasons why our members felt the offer was not good enough. The two sides also discussed ideas and approaches to getting an improved offer the membership would be more likely to ratify.

“The discussions were productive, and we have renewed optimism that this process can be concluded in a manner that benefits all involved,” said Teamsters Joint Council 28 President Rick Hicks.

The two sides will meet again on August 1, where good-faith negotiations will continue until a new contract offer is reached.