RISE UP FOR WASTE AND RECYCLING WORKERS

by Danny Mitchell, Director, Waste and Recycling Division

2022 a very busy year for the Solid Waste and Recycling Division in Canada

Successful campaign in Ontario

Local Union 419 in Mississauga, Ontario added to their membership with a successful organizing campaign at Waste Connections in Peterborough. Brother Ken Dean reports that he recently ratified a strong first agreement with the group. He also reports that Local Union 419 is entering contract talks with Waste Connections in Barrie and Brother Keith Bruce will be starting talks with Waste Management in the Greater Toronto Area in the new year.

Brother Jeff Snow from Local Union 847 reports that their Stericycle group sold off their liquid waste division to GFL but retained their medical waste division, where he renewed a three-year agreement with improvements in wages and benefits. He also reports that he renewed a two-year agreement with GFL with improvements to their wages and benefits.

Things are moving strong in Niagara Falls

Local Union 879 reports that members at Niagara Recycling finally learned that the new owner of their facility will be the Emterra Group from Burlington, Ontario. The new owners will take over in April 2023. Local Union 879 recently negotiated a two-year agreement that saw incentives for retention added as well as lump sum wage and benefit improvements. With the future of the material recovery facility uncertain, the talks were focussed on retention and severance in case the new owners decided to close the facility.

Local Union 879 was successful in negotiating wage increases to the current collective agreement for members at Modern Landfill in Niagara Falls. The hiring and retention of drivers, mechanics and labourers in the waste industry, as well as others, has seen employers offer incentives in the form of lump sum payments or wage increases to attract and retain these employees. Woodington Systems in Niagara Falls is another waste hauling company that has requested an early start to renew their agreement with Local Union 879 as hiring and retention is an issue there as well.

Brother Quinlan from Local Union 879 reports that he was contacted by Waste Connections in London, ON, which also requested to enter talks early because they are having a difficult time hiring and retaining employees. In their initial meetings in September, the company proposed generous increases to wages and benefits, but they hinged on Local Union 879 agreeing to merge the two collective agreements that cover the drivers and the manufacturing recovery centre into one. Talks broke off with Brother Quinlan seeking legal counsel and holding meetings with the membership to discuss the company’s proposal. Talks are scheduled to resume in the new year.

Will the hiring and retention problems be resolved in 2023? No one knows for certain, but the Teamsters Canada Solid Waste and Recycling Division continues to grow and the members in the division represented by locals across the country are finally getting the recognition they deserve for the hard work they do, day in and day out.

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