Teamsters calls on Republic to negotiate Phoenix labor deal

Twenty-two members of the Arizona House of Representatives have called on Republic Services to negotiate a fair contract for Teamsters drivers and helpers at the company’s Phoenix facility.

In a letter to Republic Services CEO Jon Vander Ark, the legislators urged the Phoenix-based company to respect United States labor law and deliver on an agreement for Teamster sanitation workers in Arizona.

The workers are seeking a first contract with Republic Services after voting to join Teamsters Local 104 last year.

“Republic Services’ frontline workers are the ones putting their lives on the line every day in the fifth-most deadly job in America,” Teamsters Local 104 Vice President Josh Graves says. “It is their work that earns Republic its billions. There is no reason for the company to delay in agreeing to a good contract that addresses safety concerns, health care, and fair compensation.”

Republic Services and the union representing some of its Phoenix employees are in the early stages of negotiations aimed at establishing an initial collective bargaining agreement between the parties, says Republic Services.

The company says it respects the rights of employees to engage in the collective bargaining process and has met with the union’s bargaining committee several times this year. 

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“Republic paid its CEO over $15 million in compensation last year. Our members deserve to be able to support their families on their wages and deserve the right to representation,” Teamster Local 104 Secretary-Treasurer Karla Schumann says.

In a recent survey, a majority of workers at the facility reported being forced to drive trucks that aren’t regularly checked for roadworthiness or properly maintained. One in three workers reported being injured on the job.

Republic Services says its top priority remains the health and safety of our employees, as evidenced by the fact that the firm’s safety record over the last 10 years has been nearly 40 percent better than the industry average. 

Teamsters Local 104 filed for a representation election on Feb. 3 with the National Labor Relations Board on behalf of workers at two Republic facilities in Phoenix. The company had refused to voluntarily recognize the workers’ union via card check, says the Teamsters.

Republic says it will continue to negotiate in good faith to achieve a fair, competitive labor contract that is beneficial for all parties. 

Republic Services made $13 billion in revenue and over $1.5 billion in profits last year. Between fiscal years 2019 and 2021, Republic spent more than $2.3 billion on stock buybacks and dividend payouts, says the union. Its largest individual shareholder is Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who owns 34 percent of the company.

Teamsters Local 104 represents workers throughout Arizona.