Union Contract Update #5
For AW/REPUBLIC
March 3, 2010

The Union and Allied negotiating teams met this week on March 1, 2 and 3.
March 1 started with the Union committee finalizing a new language proposal.  We continued to exchange proposals throughout the next couple of days.

We continued to make progress in reaching tentative agreements on language.  We were hopeful to have concluded the language bargaining this week and both parties worked hard to get to that point.  Unfortunately, we didn’t quite get there and have added a tentative date for next Friday, March 12.   The Company acknowledged the importance of reaching agreement on the contract before our March 28 member meeting and vote and both sides renewed our commitment to work towards that date.

Don’t forget to keep the date:
Contract or Strike Authorization Vote!
Scheduled for: March 28, 2010, 10 a.m.

More updates to follow:

Teamsters Local 174 2010 bargaining committee keeping you informed.

Rick Hicks, Ken Marshall, Patty Warren, Robert (“Durty Bob”) Ellsworth, Bill Nordyke, Paul E. DePrez, Ron Sheppard and Larry Fontana

Union Contract Update #4
For AW/REPUBLIC
February 17, 2010

The Union and Allied negotiating teams met again this week.  The union committee met and reviewed the issues, and then met face-to-face with the Company for the rest of the morning.  Each side asked questions to clarify the intent of the others proposals.  Under labor law principles, in addition to the plain wording of the contract, the intent of the parties at the table controls the interpretation of the language.  That’s why it’s crucial to make sure there is agreement on what the language means, not just what it says.

We have made some progress in reaching tentative agreements.  Another principle of labor law is around tentative agreements.  They are not final until agreement is reached on all issues.  Something might come up after reaching a tentative that causes one side or the other to revisit the prior tentative and propose modifications.  Because we want to leave all of our cards on the table until the end of the process, we are not at liberty to give a detailed session-by-session account of what happens at the table.  What we can express is that we are making forward progress.

We agreed to add another date to our negotiations calendar and meet again on March 1.

Don’t forget to keep the date:
Contract or Strike Authorization Vote!
Scheduled for:  March 28, 2010, 10 a.m.

More updates to follow:

Teamsters Local 174 2010 bargaining committee keeping you informed.
Rick Hicks, Ken Marshall, Patty Warren, Robert (“Durty Bob”) Ellsworth, Bill Nordyke, Paul E. DePrez, Ron Sheppard and Larry Fontana

Union Contract Update #3
For AW/REPUBLIC
From 2-3-10 and 2-4-10

BARGAINING HAS BEGUN!

The first set of bargaining dates in sanitation were with Allied Employers this week on Wednesday and Thursday, February 4 and 5. Representing the Employer were the Company’s Labor Manager, Director of Labor Relations Jerry Vincent, HR Area Representative John Ozburn and Pete Keller, General Manager. On Thursday they were joined by Jeff Borgida, General Manager Bellevue/Eastside for the entire day and by Chris Guimond, General Manager Kent Division for the afternoon. The Union team was Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks, Senior Business Agent Patty Warren, Business Agent Ken Marshall and elected bargaining unit representatives Robert (“Durty Bob”) Ellsworth, Bill Nordyke, Paul E. DePrez, Ron Sheppard, and Larry Fontana.

The Union committee firmed up our initial proposal the morning of February 3. We were prepared with a complete language proposal to present to the Employer. Allied also came in with a proposal on the first day. We jumped right into bargaining and we had a couple of productive days. It is still early in the process, but we had productive discussions on the issues important to our members and look forward to continuing bargaining. Our next date is tentatively scheduled February 16.

Don’t forget to put on your calendars!
Contract or Strike Authorization, Vote!
Is scheduled for: March 28, 2010

More updates to follow:

Teamsters Local 174

2010 Bargaining Committee, keeping you informed.

Union Contract Update #2
for AW /Republic
From 1-17-10 thru 2-2-10

*Meeting date change: Aw/Republic cancelled meeting us on 2-2-10 *

We have gone over the contract and corrected the issue items that were a big concern. It has been a long process. We have our First meeting with Aw/ Republic on Wednesday at 2:00 pm on 2-3-10.*
Why so late? Why cancel dates? We don’t know…We do know follows below.

Contract/Strike Authorization Vote,
Is scheduled for March 28, 2010

More updates to follow:

Teamsters Local 174 
Bargaining Committee keeping you informed 2010

Union Contract Update #2
For AW/REPUBLIC
From 1-17-10 thru 2-2-10

*Meeting Time Change:

The Bargaining committee has gone over the contract and made changes to address the issues that were a big concern at the demands meeting. It has been a long and drawn-out process. We start Bargaining with Aw/ Republic on Wednesday February 3rd at 2:00 pm*

Don’t forget to put on your calendars!
Contract, Strike Authorization, Vote!
Is scheduled for: March 28, 2010

More updates to follow:

Teamsters Local 174 

2010 Bargaining Committee, keeping you informed.

Teamsters beverage bargaining kicks off at PEPSI

March 11, 2010: Negotiations between the multi-Union coalition of Teamsters Locals and Pepsi are now underway. The first two bargaining sessions took place on March 9 and 10.

Negotiations started on a positive note with an exchange of initial proposals from both sides. In these early sessions, the parties were able to achieve several tentative agreements. All of the discussions thus far have involved non-economic contractual language. To date, no economic proposals have been discussed.

Union bargaining is being led by Teamsters Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer, Tracey A. Thompson. The next dates for bargaining are tentatively scheduled for April 27 and 28.

As always, our success in bargaining depends on our resolve, the strength and solidarity of the group, and a solid commitment by all to participate in meetings and mobilizations. We need to stick together and support our brothers and sisters at the bargaining table.

Keep an eye out for ongoing bargaining updates and check in with your Local Union’s website for more information. Together we can win a fair contract!

Your Union negotiations team consists of the following members listed below:

• Tracey A. Thompson - Secretary-Treasurer, Local 117
• Pete Lamb - Business Representative, Local 117
• Tim Allen - Business Representative, Local 174
• Vince Williams - Business Representative, Local 313
• Dennis Hart - Brewery and Soft Drink Conference, IBT
• Bob Hill - Shop Steward, Local 117
• Mark Johnson - Shop Steward, Local 117
• Monty Konold - Shop steward, Local 117
• Don Sanders - Shop Steward, Local 117
• Mike Hamilton - Shop Steward, Local 174

NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE #4
WASTE MANAGEMENT
March 10, 2010

The Union met with Waste Management for three days this week, March 8, 9 and 1O. It's been a long three days. We have worked very hard trying to get the language items resolved so we can get to economics. We made significant progress in some areas that were big issues at the demands meeting.

Unfortunately, the Company is refusing to address several of the important issues you raised. We are continuing to press them in those important areas in order to meet your demands.

We meet again the week of March 22.
Don't forget to keep the date:
Contract or Strike Authorization Vote! Scheduled for: March 28, 2010, 10 a.m.

Your Local174 Bargaining Committee: Rick Hicks, Patty Warren, Ken Marshall, Dan Stumpf, Mike Pollardo, Steve Wegener, Dan Gulliford, Brett Lohrman, James Larkin, Richard Graham, Bob Lyon and James Strub.

NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE #3
WASTE MANAGEMENT
March 5, 2010

The Union met with Waste Management today, March 5.  The parties met in the morning, and the Union presented a counteroffer on a couple of articles so we could give the Employer something to work on while we caucused to prepare a more comprehensive document.  The Company did not want to respond until they got our comprehensive proposal.  We went down a couple of hours later to give them the more comprehensive proposal.  We were told they would need several hours to prepare a new offer. 

We waited throughout the afternoon.  Unfortunately, due to some company computer issues, it took longer than expected to get back together.  Management presented their latest offer and they had to leave to get the Company’s attorney to the airport to catch his flight.  The union committee meets first thing Monday morning to prepare for the three days of bargaining set for next week. 

Don’t forget to keep the date:
Contract or Strike Authorization Vote!
Scheduled for:  March 28, 2010, 10 a.m.

Your Local 174 Bargaining Committee:  Rick Hicks, Patty Warren, Ken Marshall, Dan Stumpf, Steve Wegener, Dan Gulliford, Brett Lohrman, James Larkin, Richard Graham, Bob Lyon and James Strub

NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE #2
WASTE MANAGEMENT
Week of February 22, 2010

Negotiations with Waste picked back up this week on Wednesday, February 24.  We started with presenting the proposal the committee had worked on the previous week.  We bargained a full day on the 24th and, after receiving a new offer from the employer late in the day, met well into the evening to prepare a counter.  We exchanged proposals again on February 25.  The Union was unable to meet on the 26th due to a death in the Teamster family.  The committee opted to work a very long day (it was after midnight before we broke) in order not to lose valuable bargaining table time.

The feel for this week was two steps forward, one step back.  We made progress on some of the less important language issues.  The first and second set of proposals we exchanged this week moved the ball forward.  Both sides made package proposals that we worked through to tentative agreements.  But once again we were disappointed with the final proposal received from the Employer.  While it began to address some of the more important issues around seniority and hours of work, it was packaged with changes elsewhere in the contract we were less than happy with.

We added a meeting on March 5, and that will be our next date.

Stay tuned for future updates.

Don’t forget to keep the date:
Contract or Strike Authorization Vote!
Scheduled for:  March 28, 2010, 10 a.m.

Your Local 174 Bargaining Committee:  Rick Hicks, PattyWarren, Ken Marshall, Dan Stumpf, Mike Pollardo, Steve Wegener, Dan Gulliford, Brett Lohrman, James Larkin, Richard Graham, Bob Lyon and James Strub

NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE #1
WASTE MANAGEMENT
February 19, 2010

NEGOTIATIONS BEGIN!

Your bargaining committee has been hard at work.  We met several times as a committee, including for a full day on Saturday, to jointly develop our proposal.  We took into consideration all of the issues raised at the demands meeting as well as taking a look at changing language that has been problematical for the membership during the life of our current agreement.

We met with the Company on Monday and Thursday, and spent today, Friday, as a committee coming up with a comprehensive response to proposals made by the Company as well as our discussions at the table of issues raised by the Union.

Although it is early in negotiations, the Company’s outside counsel appears to be playing hardball, and at this juncture it seems that the management of Allied Waste cares more about their employees’ quality of life.  While we have made some forward progress, it has been moving at a slower pace than anticipated.  We meet again next week on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  We will be giving the Company our revised proposal on Wednesday.  We are hopeful that with the amount of time we have left, the Company will start listening to your demands.

Don’t forget to keep the date:
Contract or Strike Authorization Vote!
Scheduled for:  March 28, 2010, 10 a.m.

Your Local 174 Bargaining Committee:  Rick Hicks, PattyWarren, Ken Marshall, Dan Stumpf, Steve Wegener, Dan Gulliford, Brett Lohrman, James Larkin, Richard Graham, Bob Lyons and James Strub