Republic Services suspended residential and commercial waste collection services Wednesday, July 9 in Kent due to an out-of-market disruption that has caused a work stoppage at operations in King and Snohomish counties.
The work stoppage continued on Thursday, July 10.
“As with inclement weather service delays, Republic Services will collect double garbage, recycling, and organic materials on your next regularly scheduled service day at no additional charge,” according to a Republic Services statement. “We sincerely appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”
Drivers in Kent are supporting striking workers in Thurston County and in other states. A couple of dozen cities in King and and Snohomish counties contract with Republic Services.
According to a Teamsters Local 252 press release out of Lacey, that local went on strike July 9 to protest unfair labor practices at Republic Services.
“The action forced by Republic will disrupt waste collections for tens of thousands of residents around Thurston County, including the cities of Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and Yelm,” according to the union. “Workers could extend picket lines to potentially 3,500 Teamsters nationwide.”
The city of Kent has a contract with Arizona-based Republic Services through 2029.
Kent drivers honored a strike by Republic Services drivers in Southern California during a three-day work stoppage in January 2022.
“Republic Teamsters are demanding a contract with improved wages, better benefits, and stronger labor protections,” according to Teamsters 252. “The multibillion-dollar waste giant has refused to give workers a fair deal.”
The strike in Thurston County comes shortly after Republic Teamsters around Boston; Ottawa, Illinois; Cumming, Georgia; and Stockton, California went on strike, according to the press release, which added that other Teamsters across the country are having similar contract disputes with Republic, and they could launch strikes of their own at any moment.
More than 2,000 Teamsters are currently on strike or actively honoring picket lines in major cities across the country, according to Teamsters Union press release from its national headquarters in Washington, D.C. More strike extensions are expected in the coming hours and days.
“Republic Services has been threatening a war with American workers for years — and now, they’ve got one,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “Republic abuses and underpays workers across the country. They burn massive profits and funnel money to undeserving, corrupt executives. The Teamsters have had it with Republic. We will flood the streets and shut down garbage collection in state after state. Workers are uniting nationwide, and we will get the wages and benefits we’ve earned, come hell or high water.”
A spokesperson for Teamsters 117 in Tukwila, which represents Republic Services workers in Kent and other cities, said the picket lines are in support of Locals 252 in Lacey and 25 in Boston that went on strike.
“There is no telling how long this will last,” according to a July 9 email from a Teamsters 117 spokesperson.
Residential customers in Kent can reach Republic Services at 206-682-9735 and view its Kent webpage at bit.ly/4kqOw4L
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