IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 21, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Waste Management of Orange County today released the following statement after its employees in Orange County, who are members of Teamsters Local 396, voted on Friday on proposed five-year contracts as successor agreements to the contracts that expired Sept. 30.
The employees who work for the company's Santa Ana operations voted to ratify the contract. In a separate vote, the employees who work for the company's Irvine operations voted against ratification. The offer was the company's "last, best and final" offer. The union and Waste Management agreed to put the contract to a vote after both parties agreed to the terms of the proposed contract, and union leadership and bargaining committee members recommended its ratification to their members.
The agreements cover 381 Waste Management employees in Santa Ana and Irvine. Contract negotiations between Waste Management and Teamsters Local 396 have been ongoing since early August. The parties invited a federal mediator to join the talks in September. Both parties signed an extension agreement to continue the employees' current contract through October 20.
The company released the following statement:
"We commend our employees in Santa Ana for recognizing the value of the proposed contract, which provides considerable wage increases, competitive benefits and improved language in safety and other areas of the contract.
"However, we are disappointed that the contract proposed by Waste Management and recommended for ratification by union leadership was rejected by our employees in Irvine on Friday.
"The expired contract provided a total of $3.10 per hour in wage increases alone over a five-year period. The majority of these employees earn approximately $55,000 or more per year between their base and overtime pay, which is more than some teachers and police officers in cities in Orange County earn. We also provide employees with a comprehensive benefits package. Under the contract submitted for a vote, employees would receive a total of $3.35 per hour in wage increases over a five-year period, including a six percent increase in the first year of the contract alone.
"We hope to continue to work in partnership with the leadership and bargaining committee members of Teamsters Local 396 to reach a mutually agreeable solution without the employees resorting to disruptive action such as a strike. We feel strongly that continuing the education process about the proposed contract with our employees in Irvine is the best course of action for all parties concerned.
"Waste Management will continue to make all efforts to reach consensus on the proposed contract with our employees in Irvine. However, should a strike occur, we will make necessary staffing adjustments by bringing in employees from other regions and alert customers to the proper procedures for disposing of trash. We will also take steps to ensure the safety and well-being of those employees who will continue to work. We welcome continued dialogue in order to achieve a positive result for all parties involved.
"At this time, we don't anticipate any impact on our customers served by our Santa Ana operations, which are the cities of La Habra, Santa Ana and Orange and the surrounding county regions, including Cowan Heights, Lemon Heights, North Tustin, El Modena, Orange Olive and Orange Park Acres. We have plans in place to address any service changes we may experience in the regions serviced by Irvine, which are the cities of Costa Mesa, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Newport Coast and regions of the canyon areas and south county: Las Flores, Ladera Ranch, Coto de Caza, Emerald Bay, Trabuco Canyon, Modjeska Canyon and Silverado Canyon."
For updates, visit Waste Management of Orange County's Web site at www.wmorangecounty.com.
Waste Management is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Our subsidiaries provide collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. We are also a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. Our customers include residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout North America.
The Waste Management logo is available at http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2844