PITTSBURGH, PA (April 14, 2021) Salary increases, longevity bonuses and new pathways to employment are being offered to Environmental Services and Animal Control workers under a new contract agreement between Teamsters Local 249 and the City of Pittsburgh.
The union represents 143 Environmental Services refuse and recycling drivers and co-drivers, and 14 Animal Control employees.
“As Pittsburgh residents were reminded over the last challenging year, Environmental Services and Animal Control workers are essential to the quality of life in our city. I want to thank them for their service and welcome others to apply for these jobs and join us in public service,” Mayor William Peduto said.
The 5-year agreement covering 2021-2025 includes 3% raises in the final four years of the contract (first year salaries were subject to class and compensation analysis and title consolidation), and is the first union contract to add Juneteenth as a day off since Mayor William Peduto officially adopted it as a holiday in February.
In a new incentive to help recruit Environmental Services employees the new contract creates a new “loader” position that allows workers to join the bureau without having a driver’s license, which should be a benefit to those entering or re-entering the workforce. Previously all members of the unit had to have a license upon employment and obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) within six months of starting their jobs.
For the first time, employees will now get longevity increases to their annual salaries (kicking in after the fifth year of employment) to reward those who remain longtime employees.
The new contract also significantly raises the wages for CDL truck drivers and co-drivers in their first years of employment with the City by eliminating the tiered wage rates for years one through three of employment and starting all drivers and co-drivers at the top wage rate. These higher wages aim to boost recruitment, make Environmental Services jobs with the City more competitive, and improve services to City residents by filling vacant positions.
Additionally, the new contract includes:
- Paid Parental Leave
- Paid Safe Leave
- A revised bereavement leave policy to account for the restrictions in place due to COVID-19 that may prevent some employees from attending funerals for family members who have died.
- Gender neutral pronouns (they/them/theirs) in the contract language in an effort to be more inclusive for all gender identities.
