Toledo trash workers reduction?

TOLEDO, Ohio - Reductions in solid waste staff are inevitable as the city transitions to automated pickup, but don't expect to hear about pinkslips anytime soon, Mayor Carty Finkbeiner said Friday at an unrelated news conference.

Concerns arose last week when the city sent a letter to Teamsters Local 20 -- the union that represents solid waste workers -- to inform them that automated trash service will start being phased in December 7, 2009. Such a letter is required by labor agreements, Finkbeiner said, but is not a layoff notice.

There are no pinkslips -- and there's nobody being laid off on Monday -- for example -- or 2 weeks from Monday," Finkbeiner explained. "But as the automation unfolds [...] there will be periodically fewer refuse carriers needed. Fewer than we've historically needed."

This plan has been in the works for months and should not come as a surprise to anyone, Finkbeiner said.

The Solid Waste Division's commissioner, Julian Highsmith, tells FOX Toledo that drivers' jobs are safe, and there are currently 64 collectors. Of those 64, 11 have already lined up new positions within the city and 15 may be retained and retrained within the division.

That leaves 38 employees that may be looking for work as automation takes over.

An automated trash system is expected to save Toledo millions of dollars a year.

FOX Toledo made several attempts to contact Teamsters Local 20 regarding the situation, but we have not recieved any calls back.