Striking Waste Management drivers call customers with warning
SEATTLE - As pickup service resumes for some Waste Management residential customers, striking drivers have taken to the phones to get their side of the story out to many customers.
Countless residents have reported receiving robocalls left on their voicemail from people describing themselves as a Waste Management driver. The calls specifically address the company's decision to hire replacement drivers.
"Waste Management is substituting us with drivers from out of state who may not be qualified to drive heavy garbage trucks on our region's dangerous roads," says one robocall. "Please be careful. Make sure your children stay out of the way of the trucks. Call police if you see something dangerous."
Waste Management maintains it has hired an ample number of replacement drivers, some of them on a permanent basis. Spokeswoman Robin Freedman says Waste Management is taking its best candidates from a recent job fair and running recruitment ads.
The walkout has affected 217,000 customers in the Seattle-Everett area. Some business owners have angrily paid to dump their own trash. In neighborhoods, flies are circling curbside garbage bins where trash has started to stink in the 70-degree summer weather.
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Department urged residents to keep garbage enclosed to avoid attracting raccoons and bears.
Using replacement drivers from around the country, Waste Management has been offering limited service to priority commercial customers such as restaurants. Now, the company is screening applicants for permanent replacement jobs, spokeswoman Robin Freedman said.
"Our drivers have chosen to enter into a strike. We have an obligation to the community, so we're going to hire replacement workers to get the job done," she said.
Waste Management has the contract to collect waste in 60 percent of Seattle.
About 150 yard waste and recycling truck drivers represented by Local 117 walked out on July 25 after their contract expired at the end of May. About 350 garbage truck drivers represented by Local 174 are not crossing picket lines.
Local 117 wants to close a gap of about $9 an hour between the yard waste-recycling truck drivers and the garbage haulers. They drive similar trucks and the same routes and deserve the same pay, the union says.
Waste Management says it's offering a six-year deal that would raise average salaries from $58,000 to $68,000 a year. If benefits are included, the offer is worth $98,000 a year to a driver at the end of the sixth year, the company said.
The median household annual income in 2011 in King County was about $54,000 and in Snohomish County about $51,000, the state Office of Financial Management estimated.
Teamsters Local 117 has accused Waste Management of intimidation and refusing to bargain in good faith. Members are not concerned about losing their jobs because they expect the National Labor Relations Board to agree that Waste Management has committed unfair labor practices, spokeswoman Brenda Wiest said.
Hiring replacement workers is "another bullying tactic to intimidate and threaten drivers instead of bargaining in good faith," she said.
Freedman countered that Waste Management has not violated labor law.
The company expects it will be fined for missing pickups. Its contract with the city allows penalties of $1.25 million a day for service disruptions that last more than a week. The fines would be used to help customers pay bills.
No new talks have been announced as tension and pressure mount, like the growing mounds of garbage bags at many homes and businesses.
Waste Management promised garbage pickups Wednesday for commercial customers in Snohomish and King counties and for residential customers in 10 cities - Algona, Auburn, Bothell, Federal Way, Kirkland, Maple Valley, Mill Creek, Redmond, Renton and Seattle - if Wednesday is their regular pickup day.
The company isn't picking up yard waste or recycling bins. And, it says it's unable to provide service to commercial customers in Skagit County because of a picket line that went up Tuesday at a Waste Management yard in Burlington.
The city also is allowing residents to drop off up to six garbage bags at a time at two transfer stations in Seattle at no charge.
For More Information:
Waste Management Current Service Info
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Listen to one of the voicemails below:
so only union drivers can drive safely on the "dangerous" public roads?
how are the unions allowed to use scare tactics on consumers ? i thot the governments job was to protect us poor little consumers ?
These garbage collectors are making more money after six years of service than an army sergeant major after twenty years...fire them all!
"Hiring replacement workers is "another bullying tactic to intimidate and threaten drivers instead of bargaining in good faith,"
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So walking out on a job and exposing families and their children to rotting garbage is bargaining in good faith?
Waste Management is full of garbage! Saying drivers are going to make 98k is like saying a lad can join the military and can make Admirals pay. I guess it's true except you have to actually become an Admiral first.
That is their full compensation package so it is what they make including benifits. Thats a pretty good darn compensation already.
@Granny_MAC That compensation package includes salary, health benefits, bonus, mass transit, and retirement benefits. You should research first, next time.
This is so irritating for the fact that my husband is a 117 recycle driver and he WANTS to go back to work. All you folks saying you have no sympathy for the strikers, maybe you need to know the whole story and know that some people who are part of this strike have no control over it and wish they were back working. My husband is all for going back to work and doesn't want to picket. He has a family to feed and as of right now everyday he doesn't work we can't pay a bill or put food on the table. He is the only one working in our household. He has to go in and picket full time to be able to receive strike pay which is slim. We are blessed and happy to have the job he has, and he is just dying to get back to work. He loves his job and takes pride in it and has an excellent safety record. We are just praying this all gets settled soon.
Perhaps you could enlighten all those who say drivers make $98K a year (one person even posted that they make $148K a year! People have no idea what they REALLY make in take home pay, and that is just adding fuel to the fire because WM is throwing out the top dollar figure at the end of the proposed contrdact that they offered (assuimng that a person is at the absolute top end of the scale & gets every raise possible).
 @Kittengoddess It's only going to be a matter of days or maybe a week or two, and something will be worked out. They always hash it out in the end.Â
I'll make a prediction from past history. The company has the money to sit this one out for awhile but the drivers have the people on their side since the company is a person now and can be sued as a person.Â
 @Granny_MAC The drivers are obscenely overpaid and the people are now learning why their collection rates are so high. Fire them all and hire the poor unemployed folks who are willing to work at a reasonable wage!
Never said they were in business to keep their prices down. They have to keep their prices competitive with cleanscapes and allied. Paying the drivers $9 more an hour doesnt allow that. The other two companies pay about $1 more an hour way less than what wm put on the table.
Another perfect example of greedy Unions. There was once a time for them but no more. Its discussing what they are trying to pull in this economy.Â
This strike began with an economic issue wanting more money. When that is the case permanemt drivers can be hired and the old drivers will lose their jobs permanently. It is fair of wm and if you did not have a job in this economy why not take any job even a scab. The union workers are greedy they deserve this. WM is a buisness they do what they need to, to keep their prices down
 @trulyloved I know a lot of folks who would gladly work at a quarter of the evil unions largess.
There is no such thing as a business thats in business to keep ots prices down. The laws of economics don't work that way. D+ for effort.Â
Actually the issue IS one of unfair labor practice, when they offer different wages to one set of employees doing the same job with the same equipment. The union workers are NOT greedy. WM had a profit in the BILLIONS last year. (Thats profit.. after taxes and expenses, not gross earnings)
Quit being so envious of the 117 workers who have the forsight and guts to band together for everyone's benefit. Remember these guys ARE the middle class. They are what keep our economy running.
 @EMDF9A The recyclables collectors are seriously overpaid while the garbage collectors are grossly overpaid and you're saying that we should grossly overpay both parties? These folks are making twice the pay of our teachers!!!
 @EMDF9A Oh yes- the "guts" to band together in a union that takes such courage...
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As to your continued post about "BILLIONS" in profits- you've got your facts wrong. $961 million in net income last year- they haven't been over a BILLION (as you like to capitalize it) since 2008.
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If you are going to try and state facts- at least get your facts right. When you don't you pretty much lose all credibility.
A recycle driver does not deal with the health issues that a garbage driver has to. The hazards are not the same. So the pay should be different.
 @Tika Neither party even gets out of their trucks to load the garbage, so how are either party even exposed to anything?
This strike began with an economic issue wanting more money. When that is the case permanemt drivers can be hired and the old drivers will lose their jobs permanently. It is fair of wm and if you did not have a job in this economy why not take any job even a scab. The union workers are greedy they deserve this. WM is a buisness they do what they need to, to keep their prices down. If they pay those drivers $9 more an hour your service garbage pickup will cost you the customer more.
 @trulyloved Someone actually taught you basic economics, a rare thing these days. Thanks for your intelligent response. As for the 'collection' workers, fire them all and hire the multitudes that are willing to work for a fair wage!
This latest little stunt tells me they are getting desperate. Public opinion is not on their side. If they were smart, they would suck it up and and go back to work and be happy they got a job that pays them as well as it does for the skills required to perform that job.Â
 @The WA Mama They seriously screwed up when it became known that the garbage collectors were making more than people with Doctorate degrees and recycle collectors were making more than folks with Baccalaureates.
@The WA Mama Its funny they want equal pay... maybe the garbage truck drivers should take a pay cut to close the 9 dollar an hour gap.
Now there's an idea! LOL!!!
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 Break the union 98K is way too much for unskilled labor. Remember that 98K is coming out of our pockets not waste management.
I am against most unions. On the other hand, I don'tlike SCABS one bit!
 @Granny_MAC "scabs" are patriotic Americans that don't have the connections to make it into the unions but need to support their families anyway. If you ask me, I'd hire the scabs over the union folks any day, as they are braver and are willing to work for a fair wage without walking out on their duties for baseless greed.
@Granny_MAC yeah, lets see how you feel two weeks from now when your trash is piled up at your doorstep, or you have to take your trash at your own expense to the transfer station?
 @northwestsurfer  You must be joking? I don't generate much trash as I compost most of it. I grow much of my food too. I can my food for the winter months. What little tarsh I do make never goes on my doorstep. In America the trash goes in an alleyway or back of the house. Maybe you leave trash at your doorstep but I've never seen anyone do that before in America. Your habit is rather peculiar don't you think?Â
@Granny_MAC Nope, thats what I said. You know my comment was sarcasm, or tongue in cheek. If you want to misconstrue it intentionally, by all means be my guest
So in reality there is no 'trash... piled up at your doorstep' is there?Â
@Granny_MAC I live in apartment building, its about three years old. We have a trash chute with an access door on each floor that we dump our trash down. At the bottom of the chute, is a trash compactor. So, I dont have a habit of leaving trash at my doorstep, and if I did, the apartment building manager would probably speak to me and evict me.
This is just going to get some people to compost, recycle (get $$) and go to the dump. Couldn't be all bad I guess.
wow. that is some pretty darn good pay for this type of work. The scare tactics that the drivers are alledgedly using is bullying, in my opinion. Whatever they hope to gain by this strike will not make up for what they are loosing by being on strike. Take the offer and get on with your lives before you are in the unemployement line!
Who allowed the clause in the garbage haulers contract allowing them to strike in support? Â They are the real ones at fault for the garbage mess. Â And the 153 recycling drivers are toast it seems. Â Can they collect unemployment in this situation? Â Sounds like the garbage rates should go down if Waste Management is making a fortune paying these salaries. Â
Here is what the union turned down - 100k for the AVERAGE driver (Not the highest paid)
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Wage and Benefit Increases: Waste Management proposes wage and benefit increases that average over 4% per year, and provide the average recycle driver a total compensation package of $98,023 in the final year of the new six-year contract.Â
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Health Care Coverage: Waste Management will cover future cost increases of up to 8% per year, or as much as $1,696 per month in the final year of the contract. (Today Waste Management contributes $1,013 per month.)Â
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Pension Increases: Waste Management will contribute $5.10 per hour or $10,608 per year in the final year of the contract. (Waste Management employees do not contribute any out-of-pocket money to receive this benefit.)
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Bonus: Waste Management offered a $2,000 bonus to each employee if the contract was ratified.
 @Independent Biker This is obscene. These garbage/recyclables collectors are making exponentially more than our teachers and military! How in the hell did this even happen? Lets follow the money by looking at campaign contributions. Methinks Seattle is in desperate need of 'regime change'.
@Independent Biker:You Are full of trash - they are NOT making $100K average, even if you fold in all their health & welfare benefits.
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Stop putting BS information out - all it does it work to widen the divide between sides.
thats the combined compensation package, which I also had to outline to Granny_Mac: Wages, health care, mass transit (required by the state for any company with more than a certain # of employees), retirement contribution, and bonuses. Its not simply the wages.
 @northwestsurfer Don't feel too bad- they don't let silly things like facts get in the way of their ranting. I've tried to correct some of them too, but if it doesn't fit what they've "heard" or been told to believe it obviously can't be true.
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Looking up actual financial statements or full comp packages is too much work.
Damn I'm in the wrong business. But that's what Unions do for ya. I hope WM fills all their job openings and these Union people loose out.
 I would turn that down flat....if I was brain dead.
It's clear that the class warfare isn't between the rich and the middle class. The real class warfare, going by these comments, is between the middle class and the lower middle class. Â
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And the sad thing is to hear all these anti-union conservatives voices doing exactly the same thing that they accused Democrats of doing when they wanted to slightly raise taxes on families earning 250k or more a year.Â
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And here you guys are pitting yourselves against each other over the difference between 60k and 90k in income and BEING SO MAD that someone dares to fight for a better wage from a company making billions a year in pure profit.Â
 @caphillkid I think people are upset that the unions constantly use tactic of holding them hostage to try and get a wage that many think is out of line with the skill needed for the job.. In this case not picking up their garbage, a service the pay for.Â
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Also- WM doesn't make billions a year in pure profit- less and $1 billion for the last three years. If you guys keep saying that, it still wont make it true.
@caphillkid I'm a liberal, wackjob eco conservation guy, and I hate unions. I cant believe they are striking in this business climate! Anyone would be lucky to have a job, particularly with this pay compensation. Screw these drivers, I hope they are all fired.
 @caphillkid Being the hard-core leftSided Progressive liberal that I am, I STILL think it's asinine for employees to decide they are not going to agree on a new contract that still provides them a raise in this economic climate. ASININE. As they are finding out, there's a pretty solid workforce of un- and under-employed out there willing to do their job at the rate the company is paying.Â
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I'm siding with the company because a) they offered a new contract at an increased wage, b) they are required under state contract to fulfill their obligation to the community in waste removal. Just as the Tacoma teachers did last Fall and so many others have in the past, these striking unions harm the community and their own reputations, not the company.
 @sonofnils:Â
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Problem is, WM REFUSES to negotiate. The drivers have been WITHOUT a contract since May 31st, and WM has refused to negotiate at all. They made a singel offer, "take it or leave it" and refuse to come back to the table - EVEN WHEN TEAMSTERS OFFERED TO SUSPEND PICKETING.
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Please, at least get the facts before making a judgement. Teamsters has been trying to negotiate, but WM refuses to do so. ALL the other haulers in the area have negotiated in good fait AND signed contracts - why has WM not done so?
 @LocalLady And you point is? WM made and offer that the union didn't like (shocking as it may be) and thought they deserved more . An offer that was approximately $10K over the next six years and takes the average driver to just south of $100K in wages/benefits per year. Seems quite fair to me.
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