Q: How will the merger work?

A: Allied Waste Services, Inc. and Republic Services, Inc. are the waste industry's second and third largest companies. Republic will issue new shares and exchange them with Allied Waste's shareholders for all of Allied's stock. The value of the stock changing hands in the merger is roughly $6 billion.

The combined company will be named Republic Services, Inc. and it will be the waste industry's second largest company after Waste Management, Inc. The current CEO of Republic Services, James E. O'Connor will remain on as CEO. The board of directors will consist of 11 members, including Mr. O'Connor, five independent directors from the current Republic board of directors and five independent directors from the current Allied board of directors.

Q: Has the merger been completed?

A: No. The merger has been approved by both companies' boards of directors, but it still requires shareholder and regulatory approval. The companies are predicting the merger to be completed in the last quarter of 2008.

Q: Will any jobs be cut as a result of the merger?

A: Approvals of previous mergers between waste companies have required that the companies first sell some of their assets. That is possible in this case. It is also possible that overlapping facilities in the same market could lead to consolidations. The companies have not yet disclosed their consolidation proposals. That is why Teamster leaders are requesting meetings with management of the proposed company.

Q: Aren't mergers good for companies in general?

A: Mergers initially make stock prices rise, but, as a recent New Yorker article put it, "... corporate marriages only rarely end in bliss. A KPMG study of 700 mergers found that only 17 percent created real value, and that more than half destroyed it."

Q: What is the Teamsters Union doing about the merger?

A: The union is aggressively monitoring the merger. We will be in touch with both companies at the highest levels to make sure management knows our concerns. The merger cannot be completed until shareholders approve the plan, and we will be in touch with regulators to express our concerns.

Q: Where can I find more information about the merger?

A: We will continue to post new information about the Republic-Allied merger as we receive it. Please contact the Solid Waste & Recycling Division at 202-508-6422 if you have information to share. Or call your local union.