Orange County’s Teamsters have again rejected a new contract offer from county supervisors, leading to threats of a renewed strike if a deal is not quickly reached. This decision comes one week after Teamsters left their previous picket lines. The union, Teamsters Local 952, represents workers who largely operate the county’s landfills.
Eric Jimenez, secretary treasurer of Teamsters Local 952, issued a statement Tuesday confirming the rejection. Jimenez stated that the Board of Supervisors returned with an offer the union had already warned them would not pass. He indicated that members overwhelmingly rejected the proposal, which Jimenez said "fails to respect the critical work they perform every day." Jimenez emphasized the union's readiness to strike if necessary to secure a fair contract.
The latest offer from county supervisors included a 4% raise. This marked an increase from an earlier 3% offer. However, a signing bonus and back pay were not included in the revised proposal. These components have been a major sticking point throughout the negotiations for the Teamsters. The union highlighted that, due to the number of pay periods already missed since their last contract expired in June, a 4% increase without any back pay is financially closer to the original 3% raise proposed by county supervisors.
The renewed strike threat follows a previous period of industrial action by the Teamsters. County officials initially maintained that the earlier strike was not heavily impacting county operations. However, those same officials later admitted in filings to the state labor board that the strike was "throttling processing at local landfills." This admission provided a clearer picture of the disruption caused by the absence of Teamster personnel, affecting services that Irvine residents rely upon.
The Teamsters union remains the only county union to have gone on strike so far during these contract disputes. County supervisors initially offered a controversial one-year contract that included a 3% raise. This offer came after months of supervisors insisting they could not provide any raises due to an increasingly structurally imbalanced budget. In addition to the Teamsters, the county sheriff deputies union and the local branch of the American State Federal and Municipal Employees union were also among the three unions that did not accept that initial deal.
Both the county and the Teamsters have filed complaints with the state Public Employment Relations Board. Union leaders have claimed that the county negotiated in bad faith for many months. Conversely, county leaders have alleged that the union is employing improper strike tactics to force a contract agreement. The ongoing dispute indicates a lack of resolution between the two parties regarding fair compensation and negotiation practices. Unless a new agreement is quickly reached, the threat of Teamsters returning to picket lines looms for Orange County services.
