Locked out Teamsters at Mauser/ICS dig into a spread of homemade chili compliments of members at Waste Management. 

The Chili King at Waste Management worked his magic to the delight of Teamsters who have been locked out of their jobs by Mauser/ICS since April 14.

Using small donations from sanitation union members up and down the Puget Sound corridor, Nate Carnahan - aka the King - dialed up a savory feast of homemade chili and corn bread. Matt Lim, who serves as a Trustee on our Union's Executive Board, delivered the chow to the picket line last week.     

"There are so many people who care, and these guys need to know it," Lim said, as he unloaded his truck with trays of chili and encouraged the guys to come eat.

If ever the phrase it takes a village applies, this is it. Teamsters at Waste Management pooled their resources from Tacoma up to Mt. Vernon. Everybody chipped in - recycle, yard waste, and garbage drivers, mechanics, welders, delivery operation specialists - all represented classifications from three Teamster locals - Locals 117, 174, and 231.

The group collected enough not just to feed the picketing workers. They also donated over $1000 to the hardship fund set up to support Local 117 members struggling financially due to the lockout.

For the Waste Management Teamsters, Operation Chili Dog as they dubbed it, is just the start. They've got a community kitchen idea in the works designed to use union solidarity to feed, fuel, and inspire others to lift up the community.  

After Lim told workers about the donation, Armando Quezada expressed gratitude on behalf of his co-workers. 

"We want to thank our fellow union members for this incredible show of solidarity and support," said Quezada, who has worked at the ICS facility for 23 years. "We hope in the future we will be able to return the favor."

If you'd like to join Waste Management Teamsters in supporting locked out members at Mauser/ICS, you can donate to the Mauser Lockout - Worker Hardship Fund.

Operation Chili Dog: Teamsters solidarity at its finest.