A settlement doesn’t appear near as a sanitation worker strike in Massachusetts against Republic Services continues to halt waste collection pickup in Kent and several other cities in King and Snohomish counties with local Teamsters honoring picket lines.
Service for Kent residents stopped on July 9. Republic Services and the city of Kent have set up drop-off sites for garbage. That might continue to be the only option for a bit as talks broke down Friday, July 18 in Boston between Teamsters 25 and Republic Services.
Teamsters 25 leaders in Boston called it another wasted bargaining session where Republic took a 5-hour caucus and then returned without any increase in its wage proposal and refused to budge from its position not to agree to the more comprehensive Teamsters Health Insurance Plan, according to a Teamsters 25 Facebook post.
“This continues Republic’s policy of surface bargaining,” said Tom Mari, president of Teamsters Local Union No. 25 in Boston. “They’re going through the motion with no intent to reach an agreement and that’s why we filed an unfair practice charge against the company with the National Labor Relations Board.”
The strike in Boston started July 1 and impacts more than a dozen cities.
Kent Mayor Dana Ralph wishes she could do something to resolve the strike.
“There is a strike happening in Boston, our Teamsters here are on a sympathy strike for Boston,” Ralph said during the July 15 Kent City Council meeting. “The complication is cities like Kent and Renton don’t have the kind of leverage we’d have if it was our contract.”
Local and state officials in Boston are increasing pressure on Republic Services to finalize an agreement, according to Boston25news.com. Leaders from several cities have filed a complaint against Republic Services in Salem Superior Court, seeking immediate relief from Republic’s “failure to adequately collect trash and recycling.”
The complaint highlights issues with missed or delayed trash pickups, which officials say have been occurring even before the strike began on July 1. They argue that the work stoppage is causing significant setbacks for communities and creating a public health concern, according to the Boston25news.com report.
Meanwhile, the Arizona-based Republic Services media team sent an email Friday afternoon, July 18 to the Kent Reporter with the company’s latest update.
“Out-of-state Teamsters continue to picket at Republic Services locations in King and Snohomish counties in support of a situation entirely unrelated to our local operations,” according to a media statement. “They are focused on preventing us from servicing customers, including blocking our collection and disposal facilities. They are also picketing at our drop-off locations, causing delays for residents utilizing this option.”
Republic Services claimed it isn’t local drivers who are picketing.
“Most of these picketers are not Republic Services employees, do not live or work in the Seattle area, and some aren’t even in the waste industry,” according to a media statement. “They have been deployed by the Teamsters in Boston with one goal: disrupt service. Our employees want to work, but the Teamsters are threatening them with fines and loss of representation and benefits if they cross the picket line.”
The city of Kent contract with Republic Services goes through 2029. Kent drivers honored a strike by Republic Services drivers in Southern California during a three-day work stoppage in January 2022.
Republic Services has brought in employees from other areas to help in Kent.
“We are prioritizing collection for critical customers, including hospitals and care facilities, and servicing additional customers as our available workforce allows,” according to a media statement. “As we have already done, we are bringing in additional Republic Services employees from other areas to help provide service.”
The company continues to work with the city of Kent and other cities to set up garbage drop-off sites. Kent has had drop-off sites July 16-18 with another one from 8 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 19 at the accesso ShoWare Center, 625 W. James St.
“We empathize with the community and ask for their patience during this Teamsters-led work stoppage,” according to a Republic Services media statement. “We want nothing more than to welcome our employees back to work.”
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