photo by: Nick Krug

City of Lawrence solid waste division workers empty containers into the back of a trash truck in this file photo from December 2009.

City of Lawrence sanitation workers will soon vote on whether to unionize.

As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted unanimously to adopt a resolution setting dates for the election for later in August. Teamsters Local 696 recently filed a petition with the city on behalf of the city’s 70 sanitation workers, whose duties include handling trash, recycling and yard waste collection, asking that the city conduct a union election, as the Journal-World previously reported.

The resolution sets two dates for the election, Aug. 20 from 5:30 to 8:30 a.m. and Aug. 27 from 5:30 to 8:30 a.m. The election will cost the city $1,000, which includes staff time for the employees to cast their ballots and staff time for the City Clerk’s office to conduct the election, according to a city staff memo to the commission. If the sanitation workers vote to unionize, they would become the third employee group to do so, joining police and fire/medical employees.