July 30, 2007: The four-week Waste Management lockout of 500 Teamsters ended on July 29 when members of Oakland Local 70 voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new contract.
Management took the offensive to force concessions, including on health care, as a first step to attack the big Los Angeles contract that is up this fall.
They miscalculated. The Teamsters got broad support, and as trash piled up, community sentiment turned against Waste Management.