October 1, 2014
By Stephanie West
East Bridgewater, Mass. – Employees of the East Bridgewater Department of Public Works have secured their first Teamster contract in a recent vote. The workers in the department voted unanimously for the three-year contract with Teamsters Local 653. The East Bridgewater employees join the more than 250,000 public service employees nationwide which are part of the Teamsters Public Services Division.
"We will get much better representation by the Teamsters with our new contract," said Jay Doherty, an equipment operator for the past 12 years at the DPW. "The Teamsters local union has already done an excellent job in assisting us and I think that anyone else here in the department would agree with me."
The DPW consists of equipment operators who work on the highway, tree and water maintenance for East Bridgewater which has a population of 17,000. Many have been working for the city for at least 12 years and as many as 40. Jim Smith, the chief water treatment officer said regarding IBT "They were able to work with city management to win a solid new contract with wage improvements for us." Jim has worked 24 years for East Bridgewater.
"We are a diverse local union and are pleased to be able to represent these dedicated employees," said Bill Trask, business agent for Teamsters Local 653.
