CLEVELAND — With a potential strike looming, the Teamsters Local Union No. 507 has announced that it has reached an agreement in principal with the city of Cleveland.
Negotiators from the city and the union came to an agreement on Saturday after several hours at the bargaining table, according to Faulkner, Hoffman & Phillips, LLC, the firm that serves as legal counsel to the union.
The union represents 400 city of Cleveland workers who handle everything from plowing streets to collecting trash. A vote on the new contract by the Local 507 membership has been tentatively set for sometime next week.
Local 507 is one of the unions that has been in contract negotiations for with the city of Cleveland for months. Union leaders told 3News back in November that the delay in hammering out an agreement was due to wage proposals for workers, calling the package "substandard." They claim that workers in Cleveland are paid 10 to 15% less than their counterparts in most major Ohio cities.
"The city is not looking to recognize what the essential workers did throughout COVID and certainly what other cities around the state of Ohio have recognized," said Carl Pecoraro, secretary-treasure of Teamsters Local Union 507 to 3News' Marisa Saenz at the November union rally.
You can read the entire statement by the Teamsters below:
"Teamsters Local Union No. 507, which represents approximately 400 City of Cleveland employees, is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement in principle with the City of Cleveland that will keep its bargaining unit employees working this winter and beyond. Union and City negotiators came to terms late Saturday night after several hours at the bargaining table. While the parties’ last-ditch efforts resulted in a recommended settlement, the Union cannot currently disclose the specifics of its agreement with the City. The Union is reviewing the contract’s terms with its bargaining committee in advance of a membership vote, which is tentatively scheduled to occur during the week of January 23, 2023. Local 507 sincerely appreciates the broad community support its members have received as they continue to fight for a fair contract. The Union will provide additional details as the process develops."