Jim Gossett, a pest technician and a staunch union supporter, is celebrating union victory before heading out on his route.

On Thursday, July 18^th, a decisive majority of workers at Purcor Pest Solutions voted to have Teamsters Local 117 as their union representative. The group of 58 pest technicians, branch office administrators, customer care representatives, outside sales professionals and lawn technicians have attended weekly meetings to discuss and plan a successful union campaign that lasted four months. With this union victory, the branch in Puyallup becomes the first Purcor Pest location to be unionized across the country.

“Purcor has consistently shown that it prioritizes profits over people, it is time for us to change that!” said Tim Troth, who has worked as a Purcor Pest Technician for two years. “Teamsters 117 will give us the bargaining power to make changes in our favor and put Purcor workers first.”

Field and office staff ensure that every client at Purcor Pest Solutions receives proper pest control care. Puyallup branch workers operate in all contexts, whether it is answering questions over the phone or servicing clients in extreme heat. Purcor workers are unionizing to receive the respect their work deserves.

"By unionizing, we will truly stand in solidarity with each other. We will have the power to demand to be treated fairly and know that someone truly has our back!"

“We are thrilled to welcome this new group into our union. Workers in pest control labor in hazardous conditions exposed to harsh elements,” said Paul Dascher, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters 117. “They provide an essential service to our community and deserve respect. We are looking forward to negotiating a strong contract that includes this group’s priorities and raises their living standards.”

Purcor office and field workers prevailed in winning representation with Teamsters 117 despite their employer hiring a union-busting firm that ran a tiring campaign designed to sow fear in the workplace. Over the course of weeks, workers were subjected to mandatory union avoidance meetings in which the company attempted to persuade workers to vote against the union.

“We field hundreds of clients each week to set up inspections that lead to more sales for Purcor. We deal with multiple branches on a variety of issues keeping Purcor alive. By unionizing, we will truly stand in solidarity with each other. We will have the power to demand to be treated fairly and know that someone truly has our back!” shared Angela Mayes, a Customer Care Representative who has worked at Purcor for two years.

Purcor Pest services the west coast from Everett to San Diego as well as the states of Florida and Georgia. The Puyallup branch employs 58 technicians and administrators servicing private and commercial properties. Teamsters Local 117 represents 17,000 workers across Washington State.