(DALY CITY, Calif.) — On March 3, after almost nine months of back-and-forth discussions revolving around improvements to contract language and hard-fought bargaining on economics, Local 350 members at the Recology of the Coast ratified a new five-year successor collective bargaining agreement by an overwhelming 94 percent margin.

“There was a considerable gap between the offers we were getting from the company and where we needed to be. To the point where we were prepared and set to take a vote for economic action but at the 11th hour, we received a proposal which stayed our vote and allowed us to resume bargaining,” said Robert Sandoval, lead negotiator and business representative at Local 350. “The Local Union recognized that it would be a heavy lift to close that gap economically, but our position from day one was that we were not going to accept anything less than the respective surrounding units doing similar work – for too long they had been trailing, and now I’m happy to report that is no longer the case. In fact, this unit will now set the standard in wages and pension effective 2024 in the North San Mateo County area.”

The 26-worker unit at Recology of the Coast services the villages, towns, cities, and unincorporated areas of El Granada, Pillar Point, Miramar, Princeton, Montara, Moss Beach, Pacifica and Half Moon Bay, with their yard, nestled right against the Pacific Ocean in Pacifica.

Brother Noe Maguina, a 29-year veteran and shop steward, was the bargaining committee member on behalf of the unit and was an integral part during negotiations.

“Brother Maguina’s historical knowledge of this unit and how the operations ran when he first began compared to the current time and Recologys new “corporate structure” was vital in making the company move its stance on improvements to worker protection language,” Sandoval noted.

Key highlights from the newly ratified agreement include the addition of temporary vacancy language, which will allow floaters to have a “home” in the event a fellow member is out for an extended period of time, complete retro-pay for all hours worked, full maintenance of benefits which includes and provides retirees with lifetime health and welfare, and overall improvements to non-economic language to strengthen worker protections.

“For far too long, our members in the North San Mateo County region were historically making less than their counterparts in the Southern area of San Mateo County.” said John Bouchard, Principal Officer and Secretary-Treasurer of Local 350. “When I took over this local, I made it one of my priorities to ensure we brought those workers up to par, and we’ve systematically achieved that vision over the last several years.”

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