The Orange County Board of Supervisors held a special closed-door meeting Friday to review new proposals for a contract with the union representing waste and public works employees, but no announcement emerged from the session. The supervisors considered proposals from the Teamsters Joint Council 42, which were delivered through a mediator who has engaged separately with representatives from both sides.
An aide to Rep. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, read a letter to the supervisors before the meeting, encouraging the board and the union to “continue working together for a fair resolution.”
The Teamsters strike, which began last week, has temporarily suspended picketing. Board Chairman Doug Chaffee stated that this pause allows waste haulers to utilize the county’s landfills without crossing a picket line. This decision alleviates pressure on the temporary sites used by waste-hauling companies before transporting garbage to the county’s three landfills. Christian Castro, a spokesperson for Teamsters Joint Council 42, confirmed the union's agreement to suspend the strike as an “olive branch of good faith.”
Supervisor Don Wagner told City News Service that he believes the county’s offer is a reasonable one given the current circumstances. Wagner highlighted the county's tight financial situation, particularly following the payment of millions of dollars in settlements related to the Airport Fire. He noted that the county is operating with declining financial resources.
Wagner urged the Teamsters to accept the latest deal, emphasizing that it is structured for a single year, anticipating that the county's financial health is likely to improve next year. He pointed to several upcoming changes that could affect future negotiations: a new supervisor in District 4, the search for a new permanent County CEO—with K.C. Roestenberg currently serving after Michelle Aguirre's retirement and not expected to stay long-term—and a clearer understanding of the next year's financial outlook. Wagner suggested that this is not an opportune time for major decisions, and that a new board in January would likely resume the CEO search.
A critical consideration for the county, Wagner explained, is that any improved offer extended to the Teamsters would necessitate similar adjustments for all other county unions. He stated that “everything we do for one has to be shared with everyone else,” underscoring how even a small deal could have a significant impact across the entire county, thereby limiting the board's flexibility in negotiations.
This week, county and union officials engaged in a dispute over the Teamsters’ picketing tactics. The county filed a complaint with the Public Employment Relations Board, alleging that picketers were violating the law by forming “human chains,” obstructing traffic, and falsely informing customers that landfills were closed. Teamsters officials, in turn, refuted these allegations as untrue and accused county officials of violating labor law themselves. Chairman Chaffee acknowledged the county's presentation of evidence for its case, mentioning “pictures and statements from (waste hauling) drivers.”
The Teamsters are expected to vote on the proposal in the near future.
