Republic Services and its unionized workers are set to meet with a federal mediator on Friday, as a two-week-long trash strike continues to impact Swampscott residents.
Republic Services told the Swampscott Tides that the Teamsters reached out Thursday to request mediation. The strike, which started in Massachusetts on Tuesday, July 1, is affecting more than 400,000 residents across Massachusetts. Trash and recycling services in Swampscott have faced delays since resuming on Monday, July 7.
“Republic Services is committed to providing our front-line colleagues with wages and benefits that are market-competitive and sustainable, and maintaining reliable service in the communities we serve,” the media services told the Swampscott Tides.
Although the Teamsters initiated mediation, they released a press statement Thursday accusing Republic Services of “threatening a war with American workers for years — and now, they’ve got one.”
“Republic abuses and underpays workers across the country. They burn massive profits and funnel money to undeserving, corrupt executives,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said. “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.”
Republic Services Media Relations shared that its “employees in Greater Boston are among the best paid in the market with industry-leading, zero-premium healthcare plans.”
The company stated that 45% of its Greater Boston union drivers earned more than $100,000 last year. Republic Services also pays 100% of the medical premiums for its Greater Boston employees.
On June 30 when the Teamsters and Republic Services met, the trash company “put a significant wage increase on the table, offering a 39% increase over five years and a 14% increase in year one alone.”
“This offer outpaces competitors and industry standards,” Republic Services Media Relations told the Swampscott Tides.
The Teamsters did not respond for comment by the time of publication. The Swampscott Tides had asked them on Thursday over the phone.
In Thursday’s press release, Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman said that Republic Services “is one of the most depraved employers we’ve ever come across.”
Republic Services Media Relations, however, claimed that the Teamsters leaders’ demands are “not in the best interest of our employees or customers.” The company suggested the Teamsters are asking for the employees to join the Teamsters’ health and welfare plan, “which offers no significant benefit at a substantially higher cost.”
“Some employees working on prevailing wage jobs could lose more than $40,000 annually with this change,” the media services told the Swampscott Tides.
Unions in other parts of the country have also joined strikes 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 last week as well.
Sanitation workers in Philadelphia reached an agreement on Thursday to increase wages by 14% over four years, according to Republic Services Media Relations.
To resume service in Swampscott, Republic Services has “pulled staff from other areas of the country,” according to the company.
There will be two trucks in town to pick up trash for the Thursday route on Friday. The typical Friday curbside route will be collected now on Saturday.
Recycling will not be collected until next week.
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.
“We empathize with customers who have been impacted by the Teamsters’ decision to stop work,” the Republic Services Media Relations told the Swampscott Tides. “We are working hard to continue providing service.”
Story updated July 11, 2025 at 1:05 p.m. with information from the town
