Now in its fourth week, Republic Services and Teamsters have not settled after 13 negotiating sessions.
Lauro Garcia, of Lynn, a garbage thrower for Republic Services, said in an interview that he is seeing drivers come in from everywhere, including Ohio, Colorado, and Florida.
He said usually locals are on the backs of the trucks while drivers are from other parts of the country.
Garcia said the employees who are being placed in Massachusetts to help with the workload are “being put up in hotels and given $500 a week just for food.”
When Republic was asked to confirm or deny these claims, the company simply wrote, “As we have stated previously, we have enlisted Republic Services employees from Massachusetts and other states to run collection routes and service our customers.”
On Wednesday, another rally was hosted by the Teamsters at the Republic Services station in Peabody.
Sean Martin, media representative for the Teamsters, estimated about 75 people joined the picket line on Newbury Street in Peabody at its start, including roughly 20 firefighters.
Departments represented included Lynn, Lynnfield, Peabody, and Danvers.
Martin said in a statement that Republic Services “continues to spit out lies after lies to the courts, public officials, cities, and towns they serve and, most importantly, to the public. But the real truth is much different than Republic’s statements.”
He said despite the proposed wage increase Republic has offered, “the offer still remains more than $4 below the total economic package paid to employees at Capitol and Star who do the same work.”
He said Republic’s health insurance is not as good as the Teamsters health insurance plan.
“The Teamsters health insurance plan includes, at no charge to the employees, a comprehensive dental plan (along with Teamster-owned and operated dental clinics), life insurance, short-term disability insurance, hearing aids, and retiree health insurance,” Martin wrote.
Tom Mari, president of the Teamsters Local 25, said, “All we want, and will not stop until we get it, is to have the Republic employees represented by Local 25 enjoy the same wages and benefits as the employees represented by Local 25 at Capitol and Star currently have. No matter what false statements Republic continues to spew, it’s really not that complicated. Republic refuses to treat its employees with dignity and respect. That’s what this strike is all about.”
As of press time, there are no meetings planned between Republic and Teamsters Local 25.
“We want this strike to end and have our members get back to work as soon as possible to clean up the mess caused by Republic. But until Republic comes to its senses, there’s no end in sight,” Mari said.
In a statement released July 18, after the 13th negotiating session, Republic’s media team stated that Republic Services is “focused on facts and reaching an agreement that provides our employees with market-leading pay and benefits, while Teamsters leadership is focused on disinformation and disruption.”
The company stated that it has offered to “pay industry-leading wages, maintain our zero-premium healthcare plan with no deductible, and provide industry-leading retirement contributions.”
Republic said it proposed to increase wages by 16% immediately, and 43% over the life of the contract.
The statement continued, “The Teamsters’ pattern of criminal behavior — including truck theft, tire slashing, spraying chemicals on drivers and hate speech — demonstrates the union’s preference for chaos over compromise. The Teamsters have the audacity to demand — as one of their top priorities — amnesty for their threats, violence, and criminal activity during this work stoppage. We believe everyone — even the Teamsters — should be held accountable for their actions.”
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu sent a letter to the president of Republic Services.
She wrote that the strike “is taking an unacceptable toll on Boston’s residents, businesses, and neighborhoods.”
Although Boston is not one of the 14 communities in Massachusetts that contracts with Republic for municipal waste removal, Republic has commercial customers, like restaurants, spread throughout the state that are being impacted. Because of this, dumpsters in Boston and elsewhere are overflowing and causing myriad problems, Republic’s customers say.
Wu wrote that city health and safety code enforcement personnel have “reported interactions with businesses throughout the city that are struggling — paying for trash pickup service under contracts with Republic Services that they are not receiving, while also being assessed fines for trash violations on a daily basis that are making already tight margins unsustainable.
“As Mayor, it is my job to protect residents, businesses, and neighborhoods. Accordingly, I am taking two steps today,” she wrote.
She added that Boston expects Republic Services to pay for any code enforcement fines assessed to businesses throughout Boston since July 7 that arose because Republic has been unable to provide trash pickup.
Wu wrote that she directed the City’s code enforcement personnel to begin issuing fines directly to Republic Services — rather than individual businesses — for garbage left uncollected.
