Teamsters, Community Groups Rally To Demand Safety at LA Waste Facility

City Council, Environmental Groups Join Teamsters to Call for Safety Teamster members came in force to rally at the American Reclamation solid waste facility near Glendale to demand that the company provide safer working conditions for its employees. Teamsters were joined by LA City Council members, a former American Reclamation employee and environmental groups under the common banner of workplace safety. "Waste companies have a history of disregard for workers," said Randy Cammack, President of Teamsters Joint Council 42 and International Vice President. "It was this industry that caught the attention of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in the last days before his assassination in 1968. We are here to answer the call of waste workers once again." Last October two employees of a solid waste facility in Lamont, Calif., died after being asphyxiated by toxic gas in a drain pipe they were cleaning. According to reports, the company had only provided them with paper-fiber dust masks and rubber boots as protection during their workday. "Workers at that facility had asked for better gear to protect themselves, but were ignored," said Ron Herrera, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 396. "Solid waste facilities are one of the most dangerous workplaces. We're here and we aren't going anywhere until these workers are safe from harm." "The City of Los Angeles cannot wait any longer to address problems in our commercial and multi-family waste system," said Greg Good, Director of the Don't Waste LA Coalition. "We need a system that brings standards and accountability to this industry in order to protect workers, communities and our environment."

Melvin Wylie