Lynn Schenkman

Chicago -- Unable to reach contract resolutions, the Chicagoland Refuse Haulers Association (CRHA) has declared a lockout, ending all talks with Teamsters from Local 731 and Local 301 and announcing that the CRHA has closed all facilities, including garages, transfer stations and landfills. The association comprises 17 companies, which include Waste Management Inc., Houston, Allied Waste, Scottsdale, Ariz, and Republic Services, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and has 3,300 members. Teamsters who work for member companies of the CRHA, were forced on strike after management declined to make a contract offer before the contract expired. This is the first time work has ceased in the teamsters’ history of negotiating contracts with the CHRA.