The trash haulers’ strike that threatened to disrupt service to about 1 million customers, including residents throughout Bothell, ended only one day after it began.
According to a release put out late the afternoon of April 22 by Waste Management, Teamsters Local 174 agreed to end the walkout they began early the morning of April 21. Waste Management agreed to return to the bargaining table.
According to Waste Management, drivers will be on the job on Friday and collections will resume as scheduled.
Waste Management spelled out the events that led to the end of the strike as follows:
· Early the morning of April 22, Waste Management delivered a letter to Teamster Local 174 stating a commitment to restart negotiations. In its letter, Waste Management asked the union to clarify its intentions regarding service for the remainder of the week.
· At noon the same day, the company said it received notice the Teamsters were willing to return to the bargaining table on Monday and, in the meantime, end their current strike
· Waste Management confirmed a bargaining session for Monday, offering to meet at 10 a.m. with the Federal Mediator.
“We are glad the Teamsters have announced that they will return to work tomorrow, but feel that this unfortunate situation could have been avoided entirely had the union simply responded to our earlier request to meet,” said Jackie Lang of Waste Management. “We look forward to our drivers returning to work tomorrow to provide Friday collection services as scheduled.”
Drivers for Teamster Local 174 have been working without a contract since April 1, when, according to comments made to Reporter Newspapers, the union signed a no-strike agreement with the garbage and recycling collection company. Both sides claimed that the opposition had refused to meet or bargain since that agreement was reached.
In Bothell, waste collections were scuttled by the strike April 21-22. Prior to the drivers agreeing to return to work, Waste Management’s Web site stated any missed waste would be picked on the next regular collection day at no extra charge.
According to Kenmore Public Information Officer Leslie Harris, that city contracts with a different firm for waste collection and was not affected by the work stoppage.
