In June, the 42-person South Bay Recycling Facility Operations unit in San Carlos voted to approve a historic new five-year deal. These essential workers are responsible for the day-to-day operations at the Shoreway Environmental Center, which encompasses both the Transfer Station and the Material Recovery Facility (MRF), both of which are open to residents, businesses, contractors, and individuals to bring their trash and recyclables for processing and transfer. Members include equipment operators, scale attendants, mechanics,

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“Watching my dad work as a garbage man since I was four years old and loving his job inspired me to follow in his footsteps,” says Pedro Ponce about his father, Toribio Ponce.

The Solid Waste and Recycling industry is one of those unique industries that can span generations within families—fathers working with sons, nephews/nieces working with uncles, cousins working with cousins. It becomes a proud family affair of hard-working men and women who help serve their community,

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On May 14, the members of Recology San Bruno voted overwhelmingly to ratify their contract and close the deal on a long, hard-fought negotiation.

The five-year deal ensures that the 28-member unit receives significant increases in wages and pension that will bring them to the area standard. This unit is comprised of semi-drivers, garbage and recycling drivers, mechanics, and loader operators who operate the San Bruno Transfer Station in addition to providing essential services to the residential and commercial community in the City of San Bruno.

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On May 27,  the six clerical workers who work at the BFI Newby Island Landfill in Milpitas voted unanimously to join their brothers and sisters at Local 350.

Due to the pandemic, the process to unionize this group was unlike typical organizing efforts.

“This was an interesting campaign to say the least,” said Local 350 President Sergio Arrañga. “Union representatives did not have the ability to meet with workers face to face,

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Aaron Meier empties about 800 garbage cans every day, rain or shine. He first caught the world’s attention with a series of tweets in mid-March as Americans were just beginning to come to terms with the pandemic and what it would mean for their livelihoods.

“I’m a garbageman, I can’t work from home and my job is an essential city service that must get done,” tweeted Meier, a Local 350 member who works for Recology Sunset in San Francisco.

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