Strike Ends at Gaithersburg’s Potomac Disposal

Striking workers from Potomac Disposal returned to the job Wednesday, having settled a labor dispute with the Gaithersburg-based company, according to published reports.

The Washington Post reports that the 3-year deal includes pay increases as much as $20 per day, three sick days and three vacation days for helpers and a paid holiday—Christmas Day—for all workers.

Nicole Duarte, a spokeswoman for the union, said in an emailed statement to Patch that the vote on the deal came down late Monday. 

But the agreement did not include reasonably priced health care insurance, a major sticking point for the picketing workers, The Post reports. Brian Petruska, general council for Laborers’ International Union of North America, told the newspaper that it became clear during negotiations that cheaper health insurance would have been too cost-prohibitive for the company without some help from the county. 

>>>See the full story at WashingtonPost.com. 

Under a contract with the county, Potomac Disposal handles trash pick-up for Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Rockville, Wheaton and Silver Spring.

In an emailed statement, the union’s Vice Prsident and Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager Dennis Martire criticized Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett for not making a bigger push for better health insurance. 

“We're disappointed that the Montgomery County Executive wasn't willing to support a plan to offer the workers affordable health insurance,” Martire said in an emailed statement. “We expected more given the support shown by the Montgomery County Council.”

Montgomery County spokesman Patrick Lacefield told The Gazette that the county had been very supportive, holding meetings with Potomac and auditing the company to ensure it’s paying workers a required living wage.

Lacefield told The Gazette that if the county added more money to its contract with Potomac for health care, the other companies that bid on that contract could claim the county changed the rules midstream.

Potomac Disposal workers had been on strike for about a week, gaining attention from Montgomery County Council members, state lawmakers and local clergy.

Lee Levine, owner of Potomac Disposal, told The Gazette that the company was “thrilled” to have the issue resolved.

>>> See: “Agreement reached in Gaithersburg’s Potomac Disposal strike” at Gazette.net.