Trash delays continue this week, despite earlier expectations that pick-up would resume as usual amid the Republic Services strike.
“It’s a real fluid situation,” interim Town Administrator Gino Cresta said. “I’ve had numerous meetings with Republic and a group of town managers, town administrators and mayors from all of the other communities being affected by this strike…I wish I had better news for you.”
The town had announced that trash and recycling collection for Monday and Tuesday routes would proceed as scheduled on July 8. The delay follows a strike lasting more than a week, which has disrupted Republic Services operations in Swampscott and other nearby communities.
Waste collection workers across the North Shore are picketing for higher wages, better benefits, and stronger labor protections. Teamsters spokesperson Matt McQuaid declined to comment on negotiations or share details about the union’s demands.
Cresta joked at Tuesday’s Select Board meeting that trash pick-up has become his “favorite topic.”
“Trash has consumed a lot of my time in the last week and a half,” Cresta said.
At the meeting, Cresta said that pick-up for Monday’s route was still incomplete as of Tuesday night.
“Which is a shame because Monday’s route was actually finished last week, so that was only actually one week’s worth of trash,” Cresta said. “And it’s taken them two-plus days to finish that.”
“I don’t have a lot of confidence that they’re going to finish this week,” Cresta said. “The new drivers aren’t familiar with the routes, so they’re struggling with it.”
Due to those concerns, the town decided to suspend recycling for the week, “with the hope that we’ll be back on track next week,” Cresta said.
Republic Services and Teamsters Local 25 met with a federal mediator on July 2, but the company said the union did not “match our willingness to achieve a new contract.”
Republic Services Media Relations told the Swampscott Tides that it provides “our Greater Boston employees with competitive wages, an industry-leading health care plan, pension plan and a generous time-off and holiday plan.”
The strike is impacting more than 400,000 residents across Massachusetts. Other unions nationwide are also striking against Republic Services. Teamsters in Ottawa, Illinois joined the picket line just a day after their Massachusetts counterparts. Teamsters Local 396 in Southern California voted to authorize a strike on Thursday.
Cresta said that although Republic Services suggests the strike may end soon, “I don’t get a warm, fuzzy feeling about that.”
“They’re driving a hard bargain,” Cresta said.
Select Board Member Danielle Leonard expressed how she would have hoped that the advanced preparations for such a situation would have been done a bit better.
“I have the feeling that maybe the Health Department knew of this coming up, and we could have been a little bit more well timed with our communication and our plan,” Leonard said. “But we have sprung into action.”
Select Board Member Mary Ellen Fletcher raised concerns with elderly and disabled residents and how to help people who are house-bound. She said Director of Aging Services Heidi Whear will make a recommendation, and “we can figure it out with volunteers.”
To help manage overflow in Swampscott, the town announced that the Department of Public Works (DPW) Yard, at 200 Paradise Road, will be open Friday, July 11 from 3 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This week there will be six dumpsters, compared to last week’s three dumpsters. According to Cresta, two and a half dumpsters were filled with residents’ trash last week.
“Containers will be available for excess trash and recycling,” the town posted. “Please break down all cardboard boxes before disposal and bring recyclables in paper bags or cardboard boxes, no plastic bags.”
