Thousands of Bay Area residents whose trash is picked up by Republic Services are experiencing service interruptions due to a nationwide strike by the Teamsters union against the garbage giant.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters Union, which represents nearly 8,000 Republic waste workers in the U.S., accused the company of refusing to settle fair contracts “despite months of negotiations.” The union said Republic has used union-busting tactics and illegal threats instead of bargaining in good faith, though they did not specify what those tactics were.
“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 in a statement. “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.”…