Our last, best, and final offer is exactly that— they said no.”

Dana Kazel

They’ve always called us drivers the dirty dogs. The dirty dogs are the ones up above us.”

Anonymous picketer

REGIONAL— With a major snowstorm forecast for the weekend, St. Louis County’s snowplow drivers went on strike Wednesday, after county and union negotiators failed to reach agreement on a new contract. After rejecting the county’s latest offer on Saturday, the snowplow drivers’ union filed an intent to strike notice, effective on Jan. 15.
With no settlement in place as of Wednesday, the snowplow drivers, represented by Teamsters Local 320, walked off the job. As light snow put a fresh coating on area roads, drivers were walking the picket line rather than operating their plows.
The prospects for a quick settlement appear uncertain. “It’s kind of frustrating,” said St. Louis County spokesperson Dana Kazel. “The ball is in their [the union’s] court. Our last, best, and final offer is exactly that— they said no.”
While Kazel said the county is in frequent contact with the state’s Bureau of Mediation Services, there were no plans in place as of Wednesday for new talks. The two sides have already spent more than 30 hours in mediation, without settling key sticking points.
Meanwhile, Kazel said the county has a contingency plan in place that should allow for clearing of county roads, although that may prove a challenge if the widespread and heavy snow predicted for the weekend actually arrives. According to Kazel, the county has about 35 other employees, mostly supervisors and others with appropriate licensure, who will be available to plow. But that would cover only about a third of the 108 snowplow routes in the county, which could mean a significant delay in the event of a widespread snowfall.

Two-tiered benefits a sticking point
Union representative Craig Johnson said drivers are seeking an equitable agreement that they say is fair to all drivers. Currently, about forty percent of the county workers are on an old contract system, while sixty percent are on what’s known as “Appendix A,” which provides fewer benefits for workers than the old contract. For example, they cannot accumulate sick leave the same way as older employees and get less sick time and paid time-off overall. The drivers say they don’t believe the two-tiered system is fair and that all workers should receive the same benefits.
“People seem to believe county workers make a ton of money right off the bat,” says one picketer, who didn’t want to be identified. “The starting wage is $18.08, and then you have to pay $400 a month for medical and dental insurance. No one is getting rich off this.”
Drivers complain that soaring health insurance costs have undermined their ability to negotiate needed wage increases. While the county did offer a modest pay increase as part of the latest round of negotiations, workers out on strike Wednesday noted that once their insurance costs are considered, the raise amounts to only about $17 a month.
The picketers also mentioned that the county is currently spending $85,000 a week on security for the buildings where drivers are picketing, despite the picketers insistence that they are not hostile and do not want to create a hostile environment. For the picketers, this was just one more example of money wasted by the county.
“They’ve always called us drivers the dirty dogs,” said one picketer. “The dirty dogs are the ones up above us. There’s something shady going on there.”
The shady issues he and others were referring to include the trucks the county provides to foremen and superintendents, which they are allowed to take home with them. These trucks are meant to be used for work, but the drivers don’t believe this is the only use they are getting.
“They don’t need to be out on the roads all weekend checking the conditions,” says one picketer. “We wait for the 911 call and then take care of things.”
While those on strike brought up many issues they have with the county, they also made it clear that they don’t want to be on strike. They even cleaned up the roads Tuesday night after the snowfall that occurred across much of the county, despite having the right to refuse. According to those at the picket line in Cook, they did so to show good faith and because the job is important to them. They say they want to keep the roads clear, but they also want a fair and equitable contract for everyone.