Republic Services said Tuesday afternoon it planned for the possibility of a work stoppage and has “taken several steps to continue providing service, including securing Republic Services employees from other locations prioritizing routes and optimizing route efficiency.”
The company said some customers “may experience service delays as a result of the union’s work stoppage.” Republic Services said it will tell customers about schedule changes and apologized “for any inconvenience the union’s work stoppage may cause.”
“It is disappointing that the union chose to call a work stoppage rather than focus on negotiating in good faith toward a fair and competitive contract that benefits our employees and our customers,” Republic Services said. “We are committed to continuing discussions with the union to reach an agreement that benefits our employees, our customers and our company.”
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The strike by the unit of Teamsters Local 728 is “in response to unfair labor practices” and “a failure to bargain over changes in workplace conditions at Republic Services,” according to the union.
“The company has made unilateral changes in the workplace and failed to bargain in good faith with the union,” said Eric Massaro, a Teamsters business agent. He declined to elaborate on the changes and what the union deems unfair labor practices.
The Teamsters contract with Republic for the 33 workers at the Cumming facility expired April 1, and the union is in negotiations for a new contract, according to the Teamsters. The union said it is “seeking wages that are consistent with the cost of living, improved health care benefits and fairer work rules.”
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Teamsters who work for Republic have also gone on strike in the Boston area and in Ottawa, Illinois. About 500 Republic Teamsters are on strike across the country, according to the union.
In Massachusetts, the strike has gone on for a week and garbage is piling up, according to news reports.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with comment from Republic Services.