Erin Spinka

Reno, Nev. -- Waste Management Inc., Houston, has brought in employees from other Western locations to handle collection services while collectors from three Nevada locations — Reno, Sparks and Incline Village — are on strike. Approximately 260 to 280 workers have gone on strike, demanding that the company pay 100 percent of insurance coverage, increase pension plan contributions to 50 cents per hour per employee, and provide a 90-cent-per-hour pay raise for workers earning from $17.94 to $19.32.

The company has agreed to increase pension contributions by 10 cents per hour and to increase pay by 60 cents per hour for the designated workers, but it has said it will still pay 80 percent of employees’ insurance. The strike began on Friday, but collectors have been without a contract since April 18. The Teamsters Union Local 533, which has 280 of Waste Management’s 350 northern Nevada garbage collectors as members, is scheduled to meet with the company on May 12 to continue negotiations.

Although pickup has been delayed, the company has said that garbage collection will continue. Recycling collection, however, will not continue until the strike has been resolved, according to the company.