OAKLAND, CA – A strike that began last Friday by 130 low-wage recycling workers at Waste Management’s East Bay facilities in Oakland and San Leandro is continuing this week with picketers marching as early as 3 a.m. this morning in front of the company’s headquarters at 172 98th Avenue in Oakland. Picketers will also be protesting this morning at the company’s recycling facility at 2615 Davis Street in San Leandro.
The worker action was sparked by an incident involving a company manager who retaliated against union members last Thursday, October 23. Federal charges have been filed by the union against the company.
The majority of recycling workers are immigrants who speak Spanish and are paid low wages.
Waste Management recycling workers in Oakland have been seeking better pay and benefits for three years. In
2013, they joined with hundreds of East Bay recycling workers and community supporters at a historic convention on February 2 where the group pledged to improve the industry’s poverty wages and poor benefits.
Workers scored an important victory this summer when the Oakland City Council voted to improve wages and benefits for recycling workers at both of their municipal franchisees: Waste Management and California Waste Solutions. Officials at California Waste Solutions quickly signed a contract agreement confirming the new wages and benefits, but Waste Management has stubbornly refused – despite winning an extension of a lucrative franchise agreement allowing the firm to operate in Oakland for the next 20 years.
Waste Management is one of America’s largest waste and recycling companies, with billions in reported profits during recent years. City Council members accused company executives of using arrogant and heavy-handed tactics during the recent franchise agreement decision.
In 2007, Waste Management locked-out over 600 employees from their East Bay facilities for a full month. While the company directed their attack against members of the Teamsters and Machinists Union, the lockout picket lines were honored by low-wage recycling workers who voluntarily remained off the job without pay until the dispute was settled. The company subsequently retaliated against recycling workers by outsourcing dozens of customer service jobs and initiating legal action against the workers.