Pasco County employees have ratified their first Teamster contract, ushering in strong on-the-job representation for more than 1,100 public sector workers across the county.

“We fought to win a strong first contract for these hardworking public employees, and we won” said Ken Wood, President of Teamsters Local 79 in Tampa and Teamsters International Vice President. “The battle took almost four years, but our negotiators knew that they must bring the employees a contract that honored their job seniority, has just-cause provisions and included wage increases.  And, that is just what they delivered.”

The one-year contract was ratified by Pasco County employees late last week and covers workers as diverse as road and bridge workers to librarians. Some employees are required to drive dozens of miles every day in order to perform their job duties due to the vast land area that the county encompasses.

Pasco County employees are the newest county employees to be represented by Teamsters Local 79. The Local already represents public service employees in Hernando, Citrus and Collier counties.

Frank Pilgrim, a 10-year mechanic at a water treatment plant, praised the contract and the new strength it provides. “With the Teamster contract we now have someone to back us up on the job. It’s security that we did not have before. John Sholtes, business agent at Local 79, did an outstanding job helping to negotiate this contract. His work is much appreciated and I know that we can count on him to represent us going forward.”

Teamsters Local 79 is affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

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