Michigan landfill workers, Advanced Disposal strike deal

After five days of striking at the Arbor Hills Landfill, in Northville, Michigan, workers and landfill owner Advanced Disposal, Ponte Vedra, have agreed to a three-year contract, Crain’s Detroit Business is reporting.

Landfill operator Advanced Disposal and members of Operating Engineers Local 324 (OE324) reached the agreement Oct. 13. The deal reportedly covers 17 operating engineers at the landfill at Six Mile and Napier roads. They are expected to returned to work Oct. 16.

On its Facebook page OE324 posted Oct. 13, “This evening, the #OE324 members at Arbor Hills landfill reached a contract agreement with Advanced Disposal, ending a week-long strike. We congratulate the members on their new deal, and thank everyone who worked hard this week to make it happen.”

As previously reported by Waste Today, the union was seeking a deal that included higher wages in line with the industry. The contract has been in negotiations for more than a year. Landfill workers unionized in August 2016.

The Advanced Disposal told Crain’s Detroit Business, the deal was reached when the union dropped a demand that Advanced Disposal participate in a union pension fund that isn't fully funded.

The union local said in a statement that the pay raises bring the workers in line with those at other landfills, the Crain’s article says.