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12h ago

Republic Services Strike Enters Second Week as Cities Scramble for Solutions

Federal mediators reconvene Tuesday to resume stalled contract talks after widespread pickets forced Republic Services to deploy substitute crews, triggering cities’ emergency planning.

Non union garbage truck drivers collected some trash, Saturday, in Chula Vista, July 12, 2025.
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Unemptied trash bins line the street on Brookside Drive in Richmond during a Republic Services workers solidarity strike on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Workers for Republic Services, the garbage collection agency that collects household waste weekly in dozens of Bay Area cities, are now on their second week of a solidarity strike with their national Teamsters union.
Mike Hughes, a business agent for Teamsters Local 315, left, disperses benefits checks to union members outside the Golden Bear Transfer Station in Richmond, Calif., on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. 

Overview

  • A strike by 450 Boston-area Teamsters that began July 1 has spread nationwide, with thousands more refuse workers honoring picket lines in California and beyond to press for higher pay and benefits.
  • Mediation with a federal conciliator resumes July 15 after Republic’s proposal of a 43 percent pay increase over five years and zero-premium healthcare failed to satisfy the union.
  • Republic Services has mobilized substitute crews to restore limited residential pickup in parts of Contra Costa County, though recycling and green waste services remain suspended.
  • Municipalities including Lynnfield, North Reading and Wakefield have issued non-performance notices, and Fairfield is considering legal action over alleged contract breaches by Republic Services.
  • Cities from Chula Vista to North Reading have held special council sessions and prepared emergency declarations to address mounting refuse hazards and public health risks.