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Thousands of South Snohomish County residents are without trash and recycling collection this week as Republic Services workers support a nationwide Teamsters strike.
Republic Services serves portions of Edmonds and Lynnwood, along with Woodway.
Over 2,000 members of the Teamsters union are currently on strike or honoring picket lines across the U.S., demanding fair pay and condemning what they describe as corporate greed. The union said it expects to see more strike extensions in the hours and days to come.
“Republic abuses and underpays workers across the country,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien in a press release.“Workers are uniting nationwide, and we will get the wages and benefits we’ve earned, come hell or high water.”
The Teamsters union represents nearly 8,000 Republic waste collection workers across America.
Local union members walked off the job Wednesday in solidarity with the workers on strike at Republic’s Lacey, Washington facility and others around the U.S.
Republic provides service to Lynnwood, west of Highway 99, to much of Edmonds and to the town of Woodway. The company said in an email that it is treating the “temporary work stoppage” the same as a weather disruption, promising to double collections on customers’ next service days.
The Republic Services representative said the company is in contract negotiations with the union representing some employees of the Lacey facility and out of state locations.
“We respect the rights of our employees to engage in collective bargaining and are ready to continue discussions with the union to reach agreements that benefit our employees, our customers and our company,” the company representative wrote.
Republic Services did not get the word out to its customers. I did not get a text, email, call. Nothing. Republic should reduce everyone’s bill for the non pickup day. Putting out double the next pickup should be in addition to the reduction of payment.
City of Lynnwood had the chance to get rid of this “service” at contract renewal time and they chose to stay with Republic. Lack of common sense at City Hall.