Across Massachusetts, 15 communities were affected by a strike by Teamsters Local 25, trash collectors and sanitation workers amid a contract dispute with Republic Services.
The strike affects trash collection across the North Shore, including communities such as Lynnfield, Marblehead, Peabody, and Swampscott.
“If your rubbish is piling up on the Fourth of July, remember who’s responsible for it: the white collar criminals who run Republic Services,” said Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien in a statement.
O’Brien said the 450 union employees on strike demand improved wages, better benefits, and stronger labor protections.
They will do “whatever it takes,” he said, “to get the respect they’re owed.”
The strike was launched by workers right after the expiration of their contracts with the waste management company Republic Services, due to stalled negotiations between Republic and Teamsters Local 25, according to the union.
“The multibillion-dollar waste corporation has refused to give workers a fair deal, pushing them to the picket line,” Teamsters said on their website.
The company shared a statement expressing their disappointment in the recourse to a work stoppage, instead of a continuation of negotiations in “good faith.”
“We currently provide our Greater Boston employees with competitive wages, an industry-leading healthcare plan, pension plan, and a generous time-off and holiday plan,” the company said. “We value our employees and entered negotiations intending to raise wages.”
They also assured affected communities that they would take the necessary steps to provide service.
In an interview with the Daily Item, the Republic Services media team said, “We respect the rights of our employees to engage in collective bargaining, and we will continue to meet with the union to reach a fair and competitive contract that is beneficial to our employees, our customers, and our company.
“We are hopeful that the union will not call a work stoppage, but if it does, we have a contingency plan in place to continue serving the community,” the company stated.
In a follow up interview Tuesday night, the company said “At Republic Services, safety is non-negotiable. We condemn the dangerous actions today by the Teamsters and their outside agitators. They slashed tires on occupied vehicles, harassed drivers serving customers, threatened employees and sabotaged trucks.”
The statement continued, “This isn’t negotiating, it’s criminal behavior.
“These reckless actions demonstrate a blatant disregard for safety and public welfare. True leadership would prioritize responsible dialogue over dangerous street tactics.”
Republic Services stated that it remains steadfast in its commitment to “good-faith negotiations for a fair agreement,” adding that safety is non-negotiable.
In a statement from the Marblehead Health Department, it said that the town’s transfer station will be open to all residents this week to dispose of all their curbside trash and recycling at no cost.
According to a Facebook post from the Marblehead Police Department, it stated, “We are asking that barrels be removed from the curb.”
According to a press release issued by the board of health, Republic Services will have crews available to provide curbside trash and recycling collection in Marblehead effective July 2.
Crews will collect the Tuesday route on Wednesday, the Wednesday route on Thursday, the Thursday route on Friday and the Friday route on Saturday. Their crews will be working on July 4th.
The statement read, “We apologize for the inconvenience and difficulties this situation is causing. We appreciate your support and patience
during this challenging time.”
