The Orange County Board of Supervisors convened a special closed-door meeting Friday to review new proposals for a labor contract with Teamsters Joint Council 42, the union representing local waste and public works employees. This meeting followed the union's decision to suspend its strike, which had commenced last week, a move Teamsters Joint Council 42 spokesman Christian Castro characterized as an "olive branch of good faith."
This temporary cessation of picketing means waste haulers can now access the county’s three landfills without crossing a picket line. According to Board Chairman Doug Chaffee, this action alleviates pressure on the temporary sites that waste-hauling companies had been utilizing to store garbage. On Wednesday, Chaffee had mentioned the existence of a "side deal to reopen the landfills." He further noted that with the landfills now operational, "the trash companies storing trash are now able to access that," a situation he hoped would persist throughout the week. Chaffee expressed optimism for fostering "reasonable conversations instead of strikes going forward" following the Board's deliberations on Friday.
Before the Board proceeded into its closed session, an aide to Rep. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, read a letter from the congressman. The letter urged both the board and the union to "continue working together for a fair resolution." The new proposals from Teamsters Joint Council 42 were conveyed to the Board via a mediator, who had previously engaged in separate meetings with representatives from both county and union leadership.
The pause in picketing occurs amidst a week marked by contention between the two parties. The county had previously filed a complaint with the Public Employment Relations Board, asserting that Teamsters picketers were engaged in unlawful activities. Specifically, the county alleged that picketers formed "human chains," obstructed traffic, and inaccurately informed customers that the county’s landfills were closed. Teamsters officials, however, rejected these accusations, stating they were untrue, and in turn accused county officials of committing labor law violations themselves. Chairman Chaffee referenced evidence supporting the county's case against the union's picketing tactics, mentioning "pictures and statements from (waste hauling) drivers." The outcome of the Board's confidential review and its broader implications for the continuity of essential waste services across Orange County remain a significant local concern.
