Teamster garbage truck drivers in Snohomish and King counties will meet on Sunday to discuss a possible strike.
Talks were to continue Friday night and today.
“We’ve been hammering at it all week,” said Dan Scott, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 174. “We’ve hammered through some tough language issues and we’re getting down to the economics.”
Teamsters Local 174 has been in talks with two companies, Waste Management and Allied Waste, that provide garbage collection service to Seattle and 30 other cities in the two counties.
The union represents about 600 drivers. Waste Management has a garbage collection unit based in Bothell, while Allied Waste has a collection unit based in Lynnwood.
The union voted March 31 to extend talks until Sunday. Scott said members would meet Sunday afternoon in Tukwila to discuss progress in the talks and decide what to do next.
At this point, anything is possible, Scott said. A strike, if it happens, could start as soon as Monday.
Health care costs are the key issue, according to the union.
Separately, Teamster drivers for the Boeing Co. will vote today at the union hall Tukwila on a new contract proposal. Local 174 negotiators reached a tentative agreement with managers on the deal prior to a Thursday midnight strike deadline.
The union represents 239 workers who drive trucks, buses, limousines and other vehicles for Boeing at 15 sites around Puget Sound, including Everett.
Reporter Bryan Corliss: 425-339-3454 or corliss@heraldnet.com.
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