WM, Teamsters agree on contract in Nevada

A Teamsters union local in northern Nevada has reached a five-year contract agreement with Houston-based waste and recycling company WM.

Teamsters Local 533, based in Reno, Nevada, says its members have “overwhelmingly ratified” a new five-year collective bargaining agreement with WM. The contract covers more than 250 workers who collect and handle waste and recyclables in Lyon, Storey and Washoe counties.

“I want to congratulate our members and the negotiating committee for their unity and perseverance, which ultimately secured such a strong contract,” says Debbie Calkins, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 533.

Calkins characterizers the new agreement as providing “life-changing" wage and pension increases, along with "top-notch" Teamsters health care benefits.

The new agreement provides for what the union calls an immediate $4 per hour wage increase and an additional $1.25 per hour each year during the length of the contract. “In addition to a substantial pay increase, the contract increases pension contributions, secures a fair bidding process that is based on seniority, and provides first-class Teamsters health care,” the union says.

“This was my first time sitting on a negotiating committee, and I was impressed by the entire process,” says Delbert Lopez, a WM mechanic.

Teamsters Local 533 was chartered in 1934 and represents about 2,500 workers in various trades in northern Nevada and eastern California.