August 22, 2008: Last Saturday, over 100 Local 396 sanitation Teamsters came from across Southern California to have a picnic and build solidarity.

Teamsters drove from Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino, and northern Los Angeles to the picnic in Long Beach.

Local 396 members are getting organized to build a stronger local and hold their leaders accountable. Sanitation Teamsters were joined by supporters from UPS in Local 396 at the picnic.

Many sanitation Teamsters are still angry after they voted down a tentative agreement with Waste Management in L.A. County three times last year. Local 396 leaders took over 500 members out on strike with no plan to win, and members were forced back to work with no improvements in their contract.

The same thing happened to over 350 Local 396 Teamsters at Republic (Taormina Industries) in Anaheim last year too. Members stood together on the picket line, but then local officials took them back to work with no improvements.

Want to find out more? Click here to visit 396watchdog.com.

See pictures from the picnic below!