(The following letter was sent to City Councilors on July 5, 2025)
Greetings Councilors:
Welcome to the East End of Watertown! Notice the attached five photographs, showing toters that continue to be positioned; up and down the streets; waiting for curbside waste collection last Thursday, July 3rd. Does anyone seek-out the City Website for community updates?
The photographs, taken on July 3rd, between 5:36 P.M. & 6:00 P.M., are depictive of the streets as follows;
- Keenan St.
- Arlington St.
- Winsor Ave
- Langdon Ave
- Hillside Rd
Obviously, the City of Watertown, and affected communities, were aware of a pending labor strike at Republic Services. On June 27th, Rob Dolan, City Administrator, in the Town of Lynnfield, Mass., advised its residents of a “possible interruption” in Republic Services. According to the Town of Lynnfield Website, services resumed on Wednesday, July 2nd, with only a “one-day delay.”
According to the City of Gloucester, Mass. Website: “Republic Services will be working on July 4th, 5th and 6th, to complete the trash collection routes.” How were Lynnfield’s and Gloucester’s plans implemented?
Where was the foresight, by the City of Watertown, to advise and protect the residents of Watertown from inconvenience and a possible exposure to a trash related, public health risk? Where were the backup resources? Was no one advocating for the residents of Watertown?
There is/was a little known plan, set forth by the City, for last Thursday, and Monday the 7th. Even if Republic Services resume on the 7th; contingency plans are still needed for residents with overflow trash and those scheduled for end-of-week waste collections, especially in the East End.
Attached is the City of Watertown Q/A from the Website. An excerpt is as follows:
“The City of Watertown has developed a temporary solution for residents experiencing significant hardship due to their trash overflow from this strike. On Thursday, July 3 and Monday, July 7, 2025, the City of Watertown is making available very limited dumpster space for bagged household trash only, to residents experiencing significant hardship due to trash overflow at 148 Waltham Street, the former Sterritt Lumber site. This location will be open from 7:30 am – 3:30 pm.”
Watertown residents deserve better than glorified, duplicate newsletters. Watertown residents deserve emergency action plans. Thank you.
Best,
Angeline Maria B. Kounelis
Retired District A, East End, City Councilor
(To scroll through pages put cursor over image, go to arrows on bottom:) Republic-Strike-FAQs
Again, as always, Councilor Kounelis nails it. I read Watertown News regularly, and still was taken by surprise by the strike. Charlie warned us on the 30th, the strike began on the 1st. That’s to his credit, not by way of complaint. Who else reached out? Judging by my neighbors, no one. (I could add pictures to show the same state of unpreparedness in my neighborhood.) The timing around the holiday was unfortunate, but as Ms. Kounelis reports, other towns made arrangements, residents were informed. Rather than blaming people for not composting (and I compost), we should expect and demand a level of service better than this episode suggests we have. I find myself more grateful to Republic’s management for their workaround than to Watertown’s.
PS: It sounds like the workers’ demands are reasonable, even if the threats and vandalism they have reportedly resorted to are decidedly not.
The “arrangement” the town has chosen, is to snub the union workers on strike and hire non-union workers. When this happens the strike lasts longer. The company “Republic” is bypassing the union workers strike. Non-union workers (scabs) are collecting your trash and dumpsters are being hauled away by non-union workers. They passed my house today wearing masks and a police escort.
If you support your nurses strike, your teachers union strikes or others, you must consider NOT allowing non-union workers to take over the union jobs while employees are fighting for a contract. Consider leaving your trash on the curb to bring attention to and support the strike.