Sanitation workers employed at Athens Services in Los Angeles County won significant wage, pension, and healthcare increases after ratifying groundbreaking contracts that continue Teamsters Local 396’s record of increased wages and benefits in the Southern California sanitation industry. This marks the first-ever negotiated and ratified Union contract established between Teamsters Local 396 and Athens Services in the company’s history.
Sanitation workers at Athens Services are among the essential heroes who have worked hard throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to keep cities throughout Southern California clean and safe. This group of workers serves major cities throughout Los Angeles County, including Los Angeles, Cerritos, Downey, and Paramount.
This tremendous victory was won thanks to the courage and dedication of Teamster sanitation workers at Athens Services, who stood shoulder to shoulder throughout the bargaining process. “It was a tough fight to get a first contract at Athens Services, but we stood strong as Teamsters do. I am proud of this agreement that will continue to lift standards for our industry and encourage more workers at Athens Services to organize with the Teamsters,” said Jeremy Buckroff, a Bid Driver at Athens Services.
Some key highlights of this contract include the largest wage increases to date ever achieved with Teamster employers in the Southern California sanitation industry, double-time pay after 12 hours of service, significant increases into the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension, and improved healthcare benefits with substantial savings for workers.
Teamsters Local 396 currently represents over 3,000 sanitation workers throughout Southern California. It is the largest Teamster Sanitation Local in the U.S. Our Sanitation members serve communities throughout Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties.
Victor Mineros, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 396, stated, “History has truly been made today with this agreement. For the first time ever, workers at Athens Services will now have the protections and benefits of a Union contract. This is a testament to the courage and commitment that Teamsters Local 396 has had over several decades to continue organizing in the sanitation industry and lift standards for thousands of essential workers of color. I am confident that this major victory will continue to build momentum, encouraging thousands of other sanitation workers in the region to organize and join the Teamsters. Our members have truly demonstrated the courage and determination that defines what it means to be a Teamster.”