Monday, Gov. Maura Healey wrote to Jon Vander Ark, President & Chief Executive Officer at Republic Services, the waste disposal company that has halted trash and recycling pickup in several Massachusetts towns and cities for seven weeks now, to demand the company return to the bargaining table and negotiate in good faith to end the strike.
The letter reads as follows:
“As my attempts to speak with you directly have gone unanswered, I am now writing to express my deep concern and profound disappointment regarding the ongoing labor strike involving Republic Services workers in Massachusetts.
Your company’s failure to resolve or even meaningfully address this prolonged strike is unacceptable. For seven weeks now, trash and recycling have been piling up in neighborhoods during the heat of summer, impacting public health and quality of life for thousands of Massachusetts residents. Communities across the state are being forced to bear the consequences and costs of stalled negotiations between your company and its workforce.
This situation is beyond untenable. Republic Services has an obligation to the communities it serves. That obligation includes ensuring that labor disputes do not escalate to the point of endangering public well-being.
The fact that you haven’t returned my calls is a reflection of your unacceptable approach to this urgent matter. The time for delay and posturing is over. It is time to resolve this – now.
Republic must return to the bargaining table immediately and negotiate in good faith with the workers and their representatives. It is in the interest of your company, your employees, and – most critically – the residents of Massachusetts that a swift resolution is reached.
My administration stands ready to assist in facilitating dialogue if needed. But make no mistake: this matter demands your direct attention and immediate action.”
Teamsters Local 25 Union President Tom Mari issued the following statement Tuesday:
“The Teamsters did not get a similar letter from the Governor, probably because this strike is entirely the fault of Republic Services. It’s disgraceful that Republic is blaming its own workers — the very people who made it a multibillion-dollar company — for their strike going on for this long. This is exactly the behavior we’d expect from a rich out-of-state company that couldn’t care less about the Massachusetts residents they are denying service to.”
Marblehead’s Director of Public Health Andrew Petty said the Town of Marblehead has signed a letter, alongside 10 other municipalities, that is also heading toward Vander Ark.
“This is a very similar letter (to the one) the governor wrote just expressing our frustration, how long this is taking, just things like that, (and) Republic’s failure to meet the obligations in each community,” Petty said.
Petty added that Beverly Mayor Mike Cahill was the person who “put it all together.” The letter was sent by Cahill’s office Tuesday, but Canton, Gloucester, Ipswich, Lynnfield, Malden, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Peabody, Swampscott and Wakefield representatives signed their support at the bottom of the letter.
The letter’s concluding statement reads: “All of our communities intend to withhold portions of our next payments for costs incurred by our communities and for services that Republic has not and is not providing, as we await a return to normal service.”
Marblehead Board of Health member Tom McMahon said he supports “basically everything (Healey) said in” her letter, but he added he feels “doubtful” that her letter will affect the bargaining process since Republic Services has not even been returning her phone calls.
McMahon said, “It feels like Republic just doesn’t care, and obviously that’s something we take into account when we’re looking at new contracts, right? Because they want to resign with us, but it’s like, this is going to be taken into account.”
He once again expressed gratitude for the employees working at the Transfer Station in Marblehead and asked his community members to remain kind and appreciative of the Transfer Station workers — especially during this strike.
Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt addressed the Republic Services strike before Healey’s letter was shared.
“We’re united as a community in urging for immediate talks to resume and a swift resolution that respects the workers and acknowledges the demanding nature of their jobs,” he wrote.
Bettencourt added that “trash and recycling pickup is ongoing, so please continue to leave your bins curbside on your regular pickup day. There continues to be late pickups, so please expect a 1-2 day delay. If your trash and recycling does not get picked up a day or two after your regular pickup day, please contact my office at 978-538-5700.”
Peabody Board of Health Chair Tom Durkin said he can “understand (Healey’s) frustration and appreciate her support for trying to get this resolved.”
When considering the public health effects Peabody has endured due to the trash strike, Durkin mentioned that the concerns about trash flying through neighborhoods because of the wind and animals have abated.
He added that there were concerns about pets, insects and animals, but it’s hard to know if those issues have increased because it’s the summer months or because trash wasn’t being picked up. Regardless, Peabody’s health issues are subsiding, and Durkin pointed out that the issue never “rose to a point that we were overly concerned or in a crisis mode.
“I think that our political leaders have a tough road here, that this is a dispute between a private company and labor, and I think a lot of people are supportive of labor, and a lot of people are supportive of corporations as well, and they have to work it out,” he said.
“I do appreciate our mayor and our governor for trying to push that along the best they can, but they’ve got a tough job. It’s not their fault that this has occurred,” said Durkin.
