150 CR&R Workers Join Teamsters Local 396

Sanitation workers at CR&R Environmental Services voted to unionize despite an anti-union campaign by management.

Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Unions

150 CR&R Workers Join Teamsters Local 396

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150 waste workers at CR&R Environmental Services voted to join Teamsters Local 396, according to a union announcement. The workers provide sanitation services from facilities in Santa Fe Springs, Phelan, and Blythe, California.

Why it matters

The vote comes after management hired outside union-busting consultants paid hundreds of dollars an hour to campaign against unionization. Workers say they are seeking fair wages, affordable health care, retirement security, enhanced workplace protections, and rights on the job.

The figure of 150 workers comes from a union announcement of the vote, and the extraction does not give the vote tally or margin. Teamsters Local 396 already represents thousands of sanitation workers across Southern California, including hundreds of additional CR&R workers, but the certification status of this election and management's response remain unstated.

The players

Teamsters Local 396

A local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters that represents thousands of sanitation workers across Southern California.

International Brotherhood of Teamsters

A labor union founded in 1903 that represents 1.3 million people in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

CR&R Environmental Services

A waste and sanitation services company whose workers in Santa Fe Springs, Phelan, and Blythe voted to unionize.

The details

Workers at CR&R Environmental Services, who provide sanitation services from facilities in Santa Fe Springs, Phelan, and Blythe, voted to join Teamsters Local 396 despite an anti-union campaign by management. Management hired outside union-busting consultants to try to coerce workers out of unionizing.

November 13, 2026: Press release announces that workers joined Teamsters Local 396.

Political Context

The Teamsters, founded in 1903 and now representing 1.3 million members, have built their Southern California sanitation membership through local chapters like Local 396. This CR&R vote adds to that base despite management's use of outside union-busting consultants.

Workers at CR&R's California facilities now have a union contract pathway that could shape wages, health care, and retirement benefits. Residents who rely on these sanitation services may see any resulting changes in service costs or staffing over time.

The takeaway

Union organizing in essential services like waste collection often turns on pay, health coverage, and retirement security, the issues these workers cited. Readers following local labor news can track how management responds and whether the vote is certified.