Sanitation workers at Allied Waste in Fall River, Mass. voted this morning to join Teamsters Local 251 in East Providence, RI. The 113 employees in the bargaining unit work as commercial drivers, residential drivers, and shakers.

"We are happy that these dedicated workers chose to be represented by the Teamsters Union," said Joe Bairos, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 251. "Sanitation work is one of the most dangerous jobs in America, and they deserve the protections of a contract. We look forward to improving their working conditions."

"My co-workers and I work hard and have been serving our communities for years," said Marco Madeiros, a 20-year front-load driver at Allied/Republic. "Some of us have been here 20, 30 years. We had enough of the bullying and favoritism, so we chose to organize and form a union to negotiate with the company as a group."

"From the beginning, this was always about respect," said Manny Alexander, a 10-year residential driver. "Allied/Republic did not respect us and the work we do. Now we can negotiate a contract with the company that will protect our rights and stop the unfair treatment."

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