The union that represents the City of Cleveland’s snowplow drivers and garbage collectors has ratified a new contract, forestalling a strike during the city’s snow season.
Teamsters Local 507 approved the contracts over the weekend. An agreement with seasonal workers passed 80 to 23, according to Teamsters recording secretary Dan Chavez. The full-time contract passed 143-24, he said.
The new collective bargaining agreement awards 2% raises in each of the three years of the contract. But with increases in base pay across job classifications, members are looking at raises of 10% to 18%, Chavez said.
“It’s a monumental contract,” he told Signal Cleveland. “It’s the best contract that’s ever come out of the City of Cleveland for this group.”
In addition to plow drivers and garbage collectors, the union represents workers in the water department, animal control, parking enforcement and elsewhere in the city.
The union had pushed Mayor Justin Bibb to offer raises comparable to those given to the understaffed police force. The mayor’s administration signed a contract with the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association granting a 5% increase in base pay, plus 2% annual raises.
Teamsters threatened a strike as negotiations dragged on. The union and the city reached a tentative agreement just before a fact-finder’s report was due to be released in January.
Next, the contract will go to Cleveland City Council for approval.