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Politics : Just the Facts, Ma'am: A Compendium of Liberal Fiction -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lazarus_Long who wrote (48064)	5/1/2006 12:20:24 AM
From: Alan Smithee	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 90947

If you saw where Smithee is, you'd ALWAYS want to be in Seattle. Ok! That does it. Check your mail when you get home. The dog will be arriving shortly thereafter.

To: Lazarus_Long who wrote (48064)	5/1/2006 12:34:28 AM
From: Alan Smithee	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 90947

Garbage Collectors Move Closer To Strike April 30, 2006 By Associated Press SEATTLE - Hundreds of Seattle-area garbage-truck drivers moved closer to a strike Sunday, potentially affecting some 2 million households and thousands of businesses in King and Snohomish counties. Strike committees for Teamsters Local 174 met Sunday morning after the union a day earlier voted against four-year contract proposals from Allied Waste Industries Inc. in Scottsdale, Ariz., and Houston-based Waste Management. Vote totals have not been provided. Negotiations with Waste Management representatives began at 5 p.m. Sunday. "We shared the concerns that our members had," said Dan Scott, the local's secretary-treasurer, adding that he expected the talks would go on into the evening. Scott said talks with Allied Waste did not renew on Sunday because of scheduling problems. The company had offered to return to the table on Tuesday but the Scott said the union was pushing for a quicker timeline. Frustrated union officials were not yet ruling out the possibility of a strike. "We're a lot closer to one than anyone would like to be. The drivers, the customers, the companies, we're at a critical stage," Scott said. He said the committees spent almost three hours Sunday morning selecting strike captains, preparing signs and choosing potential picket locations. It's almost a month past the expiration date of the original contract, Scott said, and drivers have continued to work as talks drag on. Allied Waste, he said, has had scheduling problems that wouldn't allow representatives to meet with the union for another week. That's not acceptable, Scott said. "Our members feel they've given all parties ample time to get there," he said. "They're tired of waiting and they want to see everyone's best effort to get 'em there." Calls seeking comment from local offices for both Allied Waste and Waste Management were not immediately returned Sunday afternoon. In a prepared statement released Sunday, Allied Waste officials said they were disappointed with the union's decision, but anticipated heading "back to the negotiation table within the next few days to resolve final issues and avoid a strike." "We want to avoid a strike and get a fair deal because we believe our customers and employees are the biggest losers in a strike," said Mike Huycke, Seattle District Manager for Allied Waste Services. "We are hopeful that we will be able to resolve the remaining issues quickly." Tentative contract agreements were reached by negotiators April 15, temporarily delaying a strike by some 600 Seattle-area garbage-truck drivers. The proposed contracts, negotiated separately, were very similar, with health care and overtime being the major sticking points. In case of a strike, the city is prepared to deal with any interruption in service, said Marty McOmber, spokesman for Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. Seattle's agreements with the two companies require them to continue to provide trash-hauling services regardless of any labor disruption, McOmber said.