Washington Teamsters ratify WM contract

Members of the Washington-based Locals 231, 117 and 174 chapters of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters ratified a jointly negotiated collective bargaining agreement with Houston-based WM.

More than 640 workers collectively represented by Teamsters Locals 117, 174 and 231 ratified the agreement with a 99 percent margin, according to a news release from Teamsters. The agreement covers drivers, mechanics and washers across Skagit and King counties.

“There was a time when Waste Management Teamsters from Locals 231, 117 and 174 negotiated separately instead of working together as one team. I am pleased to announce that those days are now over,” says Rick Hicks, secretary-treasurer of Local 174. “Our combined group presented a united front that ensured the balance of power was in our favor. … This spirit of cooperation and collaboration carried us across the finish line, leading to one of the most impressive union contracts I’ve ever been a part of.”

The jointly negotiated contract provides some of the largest immediate wage increases ever negotiated by Teamsters at WM. The contract also includes strong pension increases, maintenance of top-tier health care benefits, enhanced paid time-off policies and Veterans Day as a paid holiday.

“Teamsters in the solid waste industry perform essential, physically demanding work that protects the public health and our environment,” says Paul Dascher, secretary-treasurer of Local 117. “This historic, multilocal agreement proves that solidarity and a coordinated effort in bargaining can result in great wages, excellent health care and meaningful retirement security for our members.”