Las Vegas Teamsters Ratify New Contract with Republic Services

Date: July 23, 2007

Source: Teamsters Local 631

1,200 Las Vegas Waste and Recycling Workers Ratify New 5-Year Contract

Republic Services Employees Secure Wage Increases, Improved Leave Policy

Workers represented by Teamsters Local 631 in Las Vegas have overwhelmingly ratified a new, five-year contract with Republic Services of Southern Nevada. The contract secures steady increases to workers' pay, pension and health care coverage.

"This is a strong contract and I'm very happy that our members ratified the agreement," said Wayne King, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 631. "Overall we feel like it's a strong contract and it puts us in a place to continue going forward from here."

The contract secures nearly $9 an hour in increases to wages, health and welfare, and pension benefits over the term of the contract, the economic aspects of which are retroactive to June 1. Each six months of the contract's term, employees receive a 75-cent per-hour increase that is split among wage increases, health and welfare costs, and pension contributions. The contract also features an improvement in attendance policy, as well as a penalty for late payment of paychecks.

"We undertook a rigorous campaign to make sure that our members are very informed," King said. "We gave our members all the information so they could make the best choice for them and their families."

The 1,200 disposal and recycling workers in the unit include residential, commercial, roll-off and transfer drivers, mechanics, recycling workers, welders, paint shop, utility prep workers and graphic designers. The employees service Las Vegas and surrounding areas.

Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States and Canada.

www.teamster.org.

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