Covanta SEMASS and Local 369 of the UWUA Announce Ratification of a Collective Bargaining Agreement and Settlement of Outstanding Disputes

ROCHESTER, Mass., April 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Covanta SEMASS, a subsidiary of Covanta Holding Corporation (NYSE: CVA), and Local 369 of the Utility Workers Union of America jointly announced today that a three year collective bargaining agreement was ratified by SEMASS unit employees; the agreement governs the terms and conditions of their employment.

The agreement provides SEMASS bargaining unit employees with competitive wages and health, retirement and other benefits.  

John Walker, Covanta's Northeast Regional VP of Operations stated that, "Everyone at Covanta SEMASS and Local 369 appreciates the hard work and dedication of SEMASS employees and the patience they exhibited during the negotiation period.  First contract negotiations are frequently difficult and lengthy, but we have reached a fair agreement.  Both sides are committed to working together to foster a cooperative relationship centered on the well being of our SEMASS employees."

Commenting further on these successful developments, Gary Sullivan Local 369 President noted that, "Our UWUA Bargaining Committee has done an outstanding job pressing for a fair and just contract. We are hopeful this is the first step to a productive relationship with Covanta."

About Covanta SEMASS

Covanta SEMASS LLC is a subsidiary of Covanta Holding Corporation (NYSE: CVA), an internationally recognized owner and operator of large-scale Energy-from-Waste and renewable energy projects and a recipient of the Energy Innovator Award from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.  Covanta's 45 Energy-from-Waste facilities provide communities with an environmentally sound solution to their solid waste disposal needs by using that municipal solid waste to generate clean, renewable energy. Annually, Covanta's modern Energy-from-Waste facilities safely and securely convert approximately 20 million tons of waste into more than 9 million megawatt hours of clean renewable electricity and create over 10 billion pounds of steam that are sold to a variety of industries. For more information, visit www.covantaholding.com.

About Local 369 of the Utility Workers Union of America

A chartered organization of the Utility Workers Union of America, Local 369 represents over 3,300 plus members working in the utility industry with service territory extending from Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard through the South Shore, Boston, North of Boston, and Central and Western parts of Massachusetts. We represent members at 12 different companies including independent generation facilities, local utility companies, utility construction companies, communication companies, and global energy conglomerates.

SOURCE Covanta SEMASS