Threat Of Sanitation Strike In San Diego County Looms As Worker Contracts Expire, Union Says

SAN DIEGO, CA — Contracts covering nearly 4,000 sanitation workers across Southern California have expired without tentative agreements between waste-hauling companies and the union that represents the workers.

Now, the potential for a trash strike impacting Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties is becoming a distinct possibility.

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"There's a possibility of a strike, because the contracts have expired," Teamsters Local 396 Director of Communications Adan Alvarez told Patch. "I'm not saying that it's happening or going to happen, but it's a possibility."

The contracts expired at midnight Wednesday and cover workers in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties, according to the union.

According to Alvarez, as of Friday, Oct. 2, there were no plans to officially authorize a union-wide strike — but that could change.

"The Teamsters are gonna continue bargaining, but at this point, the contracts are expired and a labor dispute could happen theoretically at any time now," Alvarez said.

The companies involved include Republic Services, Waste Management, Athens Services, CR&R, WARE Disposal, Park Disposal and AAA Disposal, according to the union.

Republic Services said in a statement that it is in contract negotiations with Teamsters Local 396, which represents many of its employees in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

"Negotiations began August 14, and we've made progress toward new collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), but there's more work to do," the company said. "Although the existing CBAs ended September 30, negotiations continued October 1. We will continue to negotiate in good faith with Local 396 to reach agreements that benefit our employees and customers, and the long-term success of our company."

Athens Services also responded to the contract expirations.

"Athens Services is currently negotiating with Teamsters Local 396 on a successor collective bargaining agreement covering employees at our Paramount yard. We respect the collective bargaining process and remain committed to bargaining in good faith toward a fair agreement," the company said. "We are committed to serving our customers and communities throughout the negotiations. Operations and service are continuing as normal."

The other companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The union said negotiations are continuing but warned that the expiration of the contracts has increased the possibility of labor disruptions across the region's sanitation industry.

"The companies knew exactly when these contracts expired, and they had every opportunity to reach agreements before the deadline," Local 396 Secretary-Treasurer Victor Mineros said. "Our members came to the table prepared to negotiate and prepared to reach fair agreements. Instead, the deadline has passed without tentative agreements. We will continue bargaining in good faith, but our members are united, prepared, and willing to do whatever it takes to win the contracts they deserve."

Local 396 members have participated in bargaining, workplace actions, yard meetings and rallies in recent months as part of a coordinated contract campaign across Southern California, according to the union.

"Close to 4,000 sanitation workers are standing shoulder to shoulder across Southern California," Local 396 President Alex Moran said. "Companies have the ability to prevent labor disputes by getting serious at the bargaining table and reaching fair agreements. Our members will continue doing everything possible to win strong contracts, and they are prepared to stand together and fight for as long as it takes."

The union represents workers in the package delivery, sanitation and food delivery industries throughout Southern California.

City News Service contributed to this report.