Republic Services has resumed all collection services starting Monday, July 21 for residential customers in Kent after Teamsters from Boston and other areas decided to no longer picket at the company’s impacted cities in King and Snohomish counties.
Customers will be serviced on their normal collection day and should leave out all their containers, according to Republic Services.
“Teamsters from Boston and other areas are no longer picketing at our Seattle-area locations and our drivers are returning to work,” according to a Monday, July 21 email from Arizona-based Republic Services media team, which last week reported that local pickets were from other states.
The company declined to answer at this time questions about refunds or credits for missed service. Drivers honored strikes in Boston since July 9.
“We are focused on resuming service as quickly as possible and will address non-service related questions once that work is complete,” according to the statement. “We appreciate the community’s patience as we work hard to get caught up with needed recycling and waste collection.”
The strike in the Boston area entered its 21st day on Monday as drivers seek higher wages and better health benefits. Drivers in Kent and other local cities didn’t cross picket lines in honor of that strike.
The Kent Reporter reached out to the Teamsters headquarters in Washington, D.C., for comment about no longer picketing in Kent and other King and Snohomish County cities but has not received a response.
Republic Services set up garbage drop-off sites last Wednesday through Saturday in Kent for customers who didn’t receive service.
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