More than 400 employees of county departments responsible for roads, parks and waste operations warned Tuesday of a potential strike as union negotiations with county leaders drag on for a new labor agreement — a work stoppage that could disrupt services for roughly 3 million residents.
The last three-year contract workers represented by Teamsters Local 952 had expired June 25.
“We just want to feel valued,” Jacob Thompson, a five-year OC Waste & Recycling employee assigned to the Prima Deshecha Landfill in San Juan Capistrano, said at a press conference ahead of Tuesday’s OC Board of Supervisors meeting. “Many of us are still struggling to put food on the table, gas in our cars and make it from one paycheck to the next.”
Workers said they are asking the county for better benefits and a wage increase that would keep up with the rising cost of living. Members of the bargaining team said negotiations with county leaders have stalled over the past six months.
The union, which represents 465 county workers spanning three departments, has also filed an unfair labor practice complaint alleging the county failed to bargain in good faith.
Bargaining team members said until recently the county offered no wage increase. The Teamsters said it approached the county in December to begin negotiations on the new contract, several months before the previous contract expired.
On Aug. 20, union members voted down the county’s latest one-year proposal of a 3% raise with no retroactive pay — an offer workers said “falls short of recognizing the value of their work.”
“The pay is too low, some of our laborers make just above minimum wage,” said Thompson, adding that some employees face a two-hour commute from Riverside County cities such as Hemet, Murrieta and Lake Elsinore because they can’t afford to live where they work.
“We had a laborer leave the county and go back to a job at Disneyland because the pay, benefits and commute made more sense for them,” he added. “Think about that.”
County spokesperson Molly Nichelson said Tuesday the county “is currently in negotiations with labor groups including the Teamsters” and “cannot comment further at this time.”
Represented workers include heavy equipment operators who maintain roads and infrastructure and fleet mechanics who keep county vehicles running for OC Public Works; OC Waste & Recycling crews who process waste at the county’s three landfills in Brea, Irvine and San Juan Capistrano; and OC Community Resources employees who staff the county animal shelter and maintain regional parks and beaches.
This is a developing story; please check back for updates.