By Linda Taaffe

The Teamsters union could start representing Los Altos public employees for the first time in the city’s history.

Employees in the city’s Public Works Maintenance Department were slated to cast their votes last Monday to decide whether or not to join the Teamsters union, Local 350, said Michael Ramon. He is a city maintenance worker and president of the Los Altos Public Employees Association (LAPEA) which currently represents the department’s 21 employees.

The election will determine whether the city’s in-house association will continue to represent department employees or if the Teamsters union will be used to negotiate wages, benefits and working conditions for the city employees.

Ramon said 19 out of the department’s 21 employees said they were concerned with the ability of the city’s in-house employee association to represent their interests when negotiating with the city.

“We feel we don’t have the skills or resources to adequately represent ourselves in negotiations with the city,” Ramon said.

The Los Altos Public Employees Association has represented the department since 1989, said Public Works Superintendent Ken Haukom Jr.

Ramon said the city was aware that department employees were considering organizing with the Teamsters union.

“The city has been very helpful, not adversarial at all,” he said. “Everything’s been done out in the open.”

Election results were unavailable at the time of the Town Crier’s publishing deadline.