ATLANTA — More than 400 Teamsters Local 25 members at waste-hauler Republic Services in the Boston area ended their hard-fought strike Sept. 19, ratifying a new contract by 92%. The union said the workers won a 46% wage increase over a five-year contract. They had been on strike since early July.
But workers at the company in Cumming, Georgia, “are definitely still on strike,” Teamsters Local 728 business agent Eric Massaro told the Militant by phone Sept. 27. “Our members are standing strong, and we intend to stay on the picket line until an acceptable settlement is reached.” Some 30 Teamsters members are on strike there.
“We’ve had a lot of support from other Teamsters, especially UPS workers, who’ve been visiting the picket line since the strike started,” Massaro added. “IBEW members have come by. Just yesterday, the North Georgia Central Labor Council dropped off $50 Kroger gift certificates for all the strikers. This solidarity has made a difference.”
“So far, the company just won’t budge,” Teamsters Local 728 member Clarence Wilson told this worker-correspondent. “Of course we wonder what they’ll do. Will they even shut down? But we are sticking together and are committed to fighting until we get a better contract.”