Trash has been piling up on curbs in more than two dozen Bay Area cities as Republic Services garbage collectors join a labor strike in solidarity with workers across the country.
Trash has been piling up on curbs in more than two dozen Bay Area cities as Republic Services garbage collectors join a labor strike in solidarity with workers across the country. The strike began last week when Republic Services employees in Massachusetts walked off the job.
Since Tuesday, garbage collectors in California and other states have staged a temporary work stoppage in support. And the stuffed trash cans, sitting full on sidewalks, are proof of the strike."We don’t know what other troubles it’s going to cause—rats, cockroaches," said Fremont resident William Zhang. "The garbage can get smelly, especially in the summertime. Hopefully, they can find a solution for the benefit of everyone."To help residents, city officials in Union City on Wednesday placed two large Dumpsters at public sites —one at the Mark Green Sports Center and another at the Union City BART station parking lot."These bins were delivered this morning," said Joan Malloy, Union City’s city manager. "We’re hoping they’ll be used well. I know there’s a lot of frustration with residents."Malloy clarified that the strike is not a local labor issue. "This is not a Union City labor dispute," she said. "We recognize this is a huge inconvenience for our residents and businesses. We are working to find alternatives and hope this will be over soon."Republic Services confirmed it will empty the temporary Dumpsters daily until the dispute is resolved.In a statement, Republic Services acknowledged they are in contract negotiations with IBT 439, the union representing some of employees at Forward Landfill and there would likely be "temporary service delays for some recycling and waste collection customers." Republic Services also apologized, in a statement for "any inconvenience this situation may cause." The company also said that essential businesses, including hospitals, nursing homes, and apartment complexes, were still receiving waste pickup. The job action has affected waste pickup in at least 25 cities across Northern California, including: Stockton, San Jose, Solano County, Fairfield, Suisun, San Pablo, Richmond, Hercules, Pinole, Rodeo, Crockett, El Sobrante, Piedmont, East Richmond Heights, Bay View, Montalvin, Tara Hills, North Richmond, Rollingwood, Union City, Newark, Fremont, Half Moon Bay, Daly City and Colma.Union representatives say the strike is rooted in solidarity with East Coast workers seeking better compensation.The Teamsters say more than 2,000 Republic Services workers have joined the strike nationwide. In a statement, the union accused the company of failing to meet basic worker demands and warned it could "flood the streets and shut down garbage collection in state after state" if negotiations remain stalled."They feel they have subpar wages and benefits, like health insurance," said Sonny Padilla of Teamsters Local 439 in Stockton. "Just hold your nose." he said, half-jokingly of the prolonged dispute affecting trash pick-up.Several union members joined a picket line this week outside a Republic Services-owned facility in Richmond.As the work stoppage continues, Union City officials say they may bring in additional Dumpsters if necessary.Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia said he has been in touch with local Teamsters officials and was not sure when the issue could be resolved. Gioia said the county will consider bringing in public Dumpsters for people to use if the labor dispute continues.
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