OAKLAND, CA – A week-long strike by 130 low-wage recycling workers at Waste Management facilities in Oakland and San Leandro ended Thursday afternoon, October 30, after workers secured a contract guaranteeing living wages and affordable family health insurance.
The strike began on October 23 after a workplace incident, but quickly spread to involve nearly all 130 recycling workers.
Workers had been seeking a contract from Waste Management officials for more than three years, but the company refused to provide more than a meager raise of 40 cents an hour. At the time of last week’s strike, the typical Waste Management recycling worker was paid $12.50 an hour. Under the new agreement, workers will see significant increases each year, rising to an hourly rate of $20.94 in 2019 – along with affordable family health benefits.
This week’s victory at Waste Management marks the third successful effort in less than a year by East Bay recycling workers to secure dramatic wage improvements with affordable family health benefits. In December of 2013, workers at BLT in Fremont won a similar package. In July of 2014, recyclers employed by California Waste Solutions in Oakland did the same. Workers at all three facilities are members of the International Longshore and warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 6, headquartered in Oakland, CA.
In February 2013, hundreds of East Bay recycling workers and community supporters attended a historic “Recyclers Convention” where plans were laid to improve the industry’s poverty wages and poor benefits.
Workers scored an important victory this summer when the Oakland City Council voted to improve wages and benefits for recycling workers at the City’s two municipal franchisees: Waste Management and California Waste Solutions. California Waste Solutions quickly signed a contract confirming the new wages and benefits, but Waste Management resisted.
Waste Management is one of America’s largest waste and recycling companies, and has reported earning billions in profits during recent years. During Oakland’s recent franchise agreement hearings, City Council members accused Waste Management executives of being arrogant and heavy-handed.
In 2007, Waste Management locked-out over 600 employees from their East Bay facilities for over a month. The company directed their attack against members of the Teamsters and Machinists Union, but picket lines were immediately honored by the low-wage recycling workers who voluntarily remained off the job without pay until the dispute was settled. The company subsequently retaliated against ILWU members by outsourcing dozens of customer service jobs and initiating legal action against ILWU members. As part of Oakland’s 2014 franchise agreement, Waste Management has agreed to restore those customer service positions.