A contract has been ratified between Republic Services at Anaheim and Huntington Beach and Teamsters Local 396, which represents more than 400 sanitation workers at Republic Services who participated in an eight-day strike in response to the company’s unfair labor practices.
Instead of providing these workers with fair pay and a fair contract that addresses their concerns, including excessive working hours and constant harassment on the job, Republic Services responded to the employees’ union activities with unfair labor practices, leaving them with no choice but to strike.
After several bargaining sessions with Republic Services, Teamsters Local 396 members at Republic Services Anaheim and Huntington Beach have now ratified, by an overwhelming majority, an agreement with the company that includes a fair contract for workers at Anaheim and Huntington Beach. Republic Services has also agreed to cease engaging in unfair labor practices. This ratification has ended the strike with regular waste collection resuming throughout Orange County.
“By standing together, sanitation workers at Republic Services in Orange County have won respect on the job and a commitment from the company to cease engaging in unfair labor practices,” said Omar Ortiz, a Republic Services Huntington Beach driver. “I am happy that we are finally being recognized for essential work that ensured that communities were safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“We are happy to have reached an agreement with the company that secures a fair contract for the workers,” said Michael Dominguez, a mechanic at Republic Services Anaheim. “We are incredibly thankful for the immense support we received from the community and elected officials during the strike. We are happy that we will now return to work, helping our customers and keeping cities throughout Orange County clean.”