New York Daily News

Now they recycle work life

- Ginger Adams Otis

WORKERS at a Brooklyn recycling plant who had to battle with their employer to join a union have ratified their first Teamsters contract.

Teamsters Local 210 successful­ly negotiated a deal last week for Sims Municipal Recycling workers in Sunset Park.

The contract gives the workers raises and a union health care plan with premiums fully paid by employer Sims.

The workers, who recycle the city’s residentia­l trash, said they wanted to join a union to improve their prior health care coverage — which they said was too expensive — and get better treatment on the job.

“We worked so hard to get to this point, but it was worth it,” said Jose Lopez, a Sims worker and union leader.

George Miranda, secretary-treasurer of Local 210, said the Sims workers got a lot of support from the community, labor backers and those in the environmen­tal justice movements.

“This is a win that will transform the lives of the immigrant workers at Sims, but it is part of a larger fight to transform the city’s sanitation system. We are going to win that fight, too, for all our workers and communitie­s,” Miranda said.

The new contract also guarantees annual raises, a retirement plan, increased vacation time and a higher-education program.

Workers will be protected from discrimina­tion based on race, ethnicity, country of origin, gender status and union activity.

They will have representa­tion during disciplina­ry procedures and will be able to grieve violations of the contract.

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