Opinion: Republic Services told workers we were family. Strike negotiations proved otherwise.

Silva is a union steward with Teamsters Local Union 542 and a 16-year veteran of Republic Services. He lives in San Ysidro.

I am a husband, a father and a grandfather, but most importantly I am the head of my household, a job that I don’t take lightly. I’m also an employee of Republic Services in Chula Vista and have been driving for 16 years. I’ve always taken pride in what I do. It’s a labor job, but it’s honest living. I give 100 percent day in and day out. Our working days are long, no matter what the weather conditions are like outside. Even when the weather is not the best, if it’s hot or cold, rain or shine, we are out servicing our customers.

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In my 16 years, I’ve missed important dates at home. I’ve missed my kids’ first days at school, school presentations and parent-teacher conferences, all because in my mind I was doing the right thing and my job was where I needed to be. My priorities changed as I got older and I started to understand what my role was in this company.

After being in negotiations for a month-long strike that was recently settled, I’ve learned that I’m just part of a market. I’m just a number, just another body to move a trash truck. For 16 years, Republic Services preached how we were part of the Republic family, how we should look after our fellow workers, how we could count on this family when hard times hit. Well, after this past month, this family will never be the same. To see how a multibillion-dollar company squeezed the fight, the morale and the life out of the people that made it its profits when all they were asking for was a fair contract — well, it was unacceptable.

We’ve been held back and pushed down so much that we finally said enough. We walked out on strike with a goal in mind and never looked back. Our purpose is and will always be to provide a better life for our families, but when your opponent is a multibillion-dollar company, your resources are bound to run out before its do.

The toll this strike took on each and every one of us is indescribable. The effects rippled down to our families. The strike was settled after a month, but that doesn’t mean everyone is happy about the outcome. And while we respect the vote of the majority — 138 people voted yes out of 250 total members — 70 union members voted no.

Republic’s treatment of our members and the customers it serves throughout this process has been unconscionable. I’m so proud that after decades of mistreatment our members took a stand and united against a $10 billion corporation that cares about nothing but profit. The fight for dignity and respect for workers is far from over.

Corporate America better wake up. Workers are taking matters into their own hands and are standing up for what they deserve. A sleeping giant has awoken.

How does this company expect its employees to be put through this and then come back to work and give it their all again? We take pride in what we do. We take pride in our work ethic. We spend at least a third of each week at work. But when you no longer feel respected or appreciated, when you feel like you’re being taken advantage of, there is no way you can have that same positive attitude. It’s unfortunate to say Republic Services should be embarrassed. Not only did it ruin relations with its employees, but it also showed its customers that Republic values profit over people.

What the company doesn’t know is that while we were out on strike, we learned more about each other. We learned the strength we have as one collective unit when we all fight for the same cause. We as employees are the real family, and we did come together in this hard time. We paid union dues for years but only now did we find out what being united really means.

We are back on our routes today cleaning up messes and piles of garbage left behind. And to my surprise we’ve been greeted by customers showing us gratitude. Customers have for the most part always been friendly, but hopefully they have a great appreciation for what we do on a daily basis now.