Press Releases
Teamsters Protest Union Busting at Youngstown City Hall
Street Dept. Demanding that the City Return to Negotiations
(YOUNGSTOWN, OH) – Today, workers employed by the Youngstown Street Dept. who are represented by Teamsters Local 377 protested a proposal put before the city council that would impose a contract on them that they voted down. The union asks that the City Law Director Jeff Limbian give them dates and times when he is available for further negotiations on behalf of the City.
“I’d like to thank the city councilors and community leaders who voiced their support against this measure,” said Local 377 Secretary-Treasurer Ralph “Sam” Cook. “If you impose a contract on city workers that they voted down – you aren’t negotiating, you are union-busting, and your constituents will remember that.”
“This isn’t just our job, this is our city and we love it,” said a member of the Youngstown Street Department who asked to speak anonymously. “If we don’t get a good contract, we could lose even more drivers to the private sector. That means it could take even longer for streets to get plowed and repaired. That’s bad for me, that’s bad for you, that’s bad for everybody.”
“Limbian says ‘the city will always be interested in coming back to the table, [that they] want clear lines of communication and open dialogue,’ ” said Steven Anzevino, Local 377 President. “That’s great! We want the same thing. Please, name a date, name a time, we will be there.”
Teamsters Local 377 represents workers in a wide variety of industries throughout Northeastern Ohio.