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July 29, 2012 at 7:54 pm #604185
hooper1961Memberi do not like paying for a service not provided. if garbage is not picked up customers should be allowed to have a refund.
July 29, 2012 at 8:23 pm #765372
jwwsParticipantIf they miss your pick up you are allowed to set out double on your next scheduled pick up day for no extra charge, so you are not paying more; they pick up 2 weeks worth in one week (extra garbage etc usually is an additional charge) and they have CYA’d by doing so. We, unfortunately, are left with dealing with storing 2 weeks of garbage, yard waste and recycle….
July 29, 2012 at 9:05 pm #765373
miwsParticipantJuly 29, 2012 at 10:16 pm #765374
JanSParticipantoh, Mike..that would be too easy, dontcha know?
July 29, 2012 at 10:19 pm #765375
miwsParticipant;-)
July 30, 2012 at 7:12 am #765376
JKBParticipantNone of the news reports I’ve seen actually say what the strike is about. Anyone know?
What does a garbage truck driver make, anyway?
July 30, 2012 at 10:28 am #765377
WSBKeymasterPlease note that the recycling and yard-waste drivers are on strike.
The garbage truck drivers are off the job in support of the strike.
From the website http://www.seattletrashwatch.org – set up by the Teamsters (who are paying to advertise it in various places including here, where we have labeled it as a paid political ad) – “A central issue in bargaining has been the large compensation disparity between recycle and garbage drivers in our region. On average, garbage haulers earn $9/hr more in total compensation than their recycle driver counterparts.”
WM, meantime, says in a news release: “In these tough economic times, we continue to stand by our fair and generous package that compensates our drivers with substantial wage and benefit increases over the term of the 6-year contract, totaling over $98,000 in overall compensation in the final year of the contract.”
July 30, 2012 at 2:08 pm #765378
TanDLParticipantI always hear the garbage trucks around 7am in our neighborhood, on Mondays. That’s how I know to get the garbage out. Quiet today…
July 30, 2012 at 2:22 pm #765379
JVMemberI wonder what the Smith Brothers farms milk man makes. Maybe he should be making $98k a year too. It’s only “fair” right?
At what point will they say, “you know, this is pretty good money for emptying recycle bins, maybe I should be grateful that I’m not one of the 14.9% of unemployed Americans.”
July 30, 2012 at 2:44 pm #765380
WS PersonParticipantDoes anyone know why the recycle/yard waste drivers are in a different union than the garbage guys?
July 30, 2012 at 3:06 pm #765381
hooper1961MemberAll I know is that if they do not pick up my garbage I want the right to have a refund for failure to provide the service.
July 30, 2012 at 3:08 pm #765382
karenParticipantSure, you can put out twice the amount but you’ve got to store it somewhere. So, either you buy lawn bags for your yard wast, or another garbage can for the garbage.
What I find irritating is that you don’t have a choice. You can not stop garbage service. If your internet was shut off for a labor dispute, you would have the option to change providers. Or decide to not have internet and not pay for it.
In Seattle, no choice. You can take it to the dump but you still have to pay for garbage service.
July 30, 2012 at 3:26 pm #765383
kootchmanMemberThis is what happens when you let the city government take kick backs for exclusive franchises. Your cable bill… being an example. Stop the government kick-back schemes and open up garbage collection to private firms. I am not fussy… whoever has the lowest bid can pick mine up. That should put a dent in that 14.9 unemployment rate. The charge for a service not provided? I predict a lawsuit.
July 30, 2012 at 4:16 pm #765384
happywalkerParticipantOh I’ll be putting ALL of my extra garbage/stuff out.
July 30, 2012 at 4:22 pm #765385
JVMemberCan we just drop our garbage off at the Teamsters Union headquarters?
July 30, 2012 at 5:29 pm #765386
kootchmanMemberNo.. let’s get the list of members… the ones that contribute to democratic campaigns… with their addresses. Just like they want the list of republican donors.
July 30, 2012 at 6:06 pm #765387
miwsParticipantJuly 30, 2012 at 6:32 pm #765388
skeeterParticipantOne of my personal goals is to understand labor and union laws in this country. Do unions have unlimited power? Let’s say Waste Management needs drivers and the drivers are unionized.
WM: We’ll pay you $98,000/year incl benefits.
Driver’s union: No deal. We want $241,000/year incl benefits.
WM: Can’t do that. Sorry. Let’s go our separate ways. We’ll just hire our own drivers and not use the union.
Is that legal for WM to do? Or does WM have to use the union because otherwise they are union-breaking. Does anyone know how this works?
July 30, 2012 at 7:34 pm #765389
KimberleyParticipantWhat if you don’t have double the amount of garbage/recycling, etc. to put out for the next pick-up? Shouldn’t we technically be refunded? I meant to call and ask about this last time this happened as we didn’t put out double the amount.
July 30, 2012 at 7:46 pm #765390
hooper1961MemberAlternatively it appears we are green lighted to put out as much extra garbage as we desire?
Garbage, Recycling, Food & Yard Waste for Monday, July 30
Monday Waste Management customers should put their garbage, yard waste and recycling out before 7 a.m. If collections are missed due to a strike by drivers, carts should be put out next Monday, August 6. Customers will not be charged extra for any additional items placed at the curb. CleanScapes customers will have their carts picked up as usual. Map of affected areas.
July 30, 2012 at 8:08 pm #765391
waterworldParticipantSkeeter: the short answer is that both sides – labor and management – are required to bargain in good faith. If the union negotiators make an outrageous demand, the company can take it to the NLRB and they will all likely end up in arbitration. More importantly, the negotiators answer to the workers and the workers generally want the strike to end as quickly as possible, as does the company. The financial pressure on both sides is a big incentive to reach an agreement, even if neither side is totally happy with it.
Having said that, from the outside, what we generally see is a lot of posturing on both sides. Management will say the union is not being reasonable; the union will claim that management is refusing to negotiate. Management may try to bring in strike-breakers or non-union workers; the union will get support from other unions, which will walk out in support of the workers who are negotiating a new contract. More often than not, the parties do ultimately reach an agreement at the bargaining table and everybody gets back to work. In extreme cases, the NLRB steps in and forces the parties to negotiate, or one side takes the other to court.
July 30, 2012 at 9:57 pm #765392
DBPMemberPerhaps Waste Management feels emboldened by the soft economy and recent union setbacks in Wisconsin.
I’m a little confused myself about who’s job it is to pick up the trash. If WM is in between contracts, then technically maybe the City is on the hook to hire replacements. But if WM is currently still under contract, then I guess THEY have to find a way to get the trash/recycling picked up. Strike or no strike.
To answer The Hoopster and Kimberley’s concerns, 3 years ago when the City missed pickups for 2+ weeks during a snowstorm, we DID get a refund, paltry though it was. Also, you can always negotiate with them directly to reduce your bill for “services not received” if you feel you’re entitled. (Good luck with that.)
To answer skeeter’s question (“Do unions have unlimited power?”) I would say, No. —If they had unlimited power, why would they need to strike?
And finally, to answer The Kootchman’s accusation about kick-backs, to wit:
This is what happens when you let the city government take kick backs for exclusive franchises. Your cable bill… being an example. Stop the government kick-back schemes and open up garbage collection to private firms.
—I would say, if he has actual knowledge of City officials taking kick-backs from WM or whomever, he should definitely come forward with that now, because kick-backs are illegal, and I’m sure WSB would love to have the scoop on this. (Might even pay for it, too, if that’s not in itself a kick-back.)
On the other hand, if The Kootchman has no actual knowledge, he should come forward with that, too.
Ladies and gentlemen, I’m The Kootchman, and I have no actual knowledge.
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July 30, 2012 at 10:10 pm #765393
jwwsParticipantWaste Management, what a waste…….
July 30, 2012 at 11:27 pm #765394
miwsParticipantIt would be nice if the city could heavily fine WM for every day of missed pick-ups.
But, I suppose that would have to be written into the contract between the city, and WM.
Mike
July 30, 2012 at 11:54 pm #765395
DBPMemberMike, that’s exactly what the City CAN and WILL do:
Seattle Public Utilities has told Waste Management that beginning Wednesday, it could face contractually imposed fines of up to $1.25 million a day if the strike by trash haulers keeps disrupting service. If all King and South Snohomish County cities with similar contracts impose fines, the sum could reach $3 million a day.
Source article: tp://tinyurl.com/bwmrphb
Given these new developments, there’s a good chance that the union will hold out with the strike. A few days’ worth of $3 million dollar fines and WM will have “eaten” the value of its contract with Seattle and the other cities.
It looks bad for WM right now. However, if the City had contracted directly with the union trash haulers (i.e, the Teamsters), and a strike had occurred, then the City would be imposing the same fine against the unions right now, instead of WM. It happens.
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Union workers say that WM has refused to negotiate with them “in good faith.” I can’t imagine what that means. Maybe it just means: They didn’t give us what we wanted.
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