Around Town

Teamsters Union Releases Statement About Trash Strike

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The following announcement was provided by Teamsters Local 25:

Following a strike vote that passed by more than 90 percent on Monday, members of Teamsters Local 25 at Republic Services are about to conclude their first week of the work stoppage without a fair offer from the company. 

The overwhelming vote to strike was caused by Republic‘s refusal to agree to pay the same wages and benefits that have been negotiated by Local 25 at Capitol Waste and Star Waste Systems, the trash behemoth’s major competitors in Eastern Massachusetts. “This strike is all about fairness, equity, and maintaining the area standards established by Local 25,” said Thomas G. Mari, President of Local 25. “I have never seen a group of workers who are so united and committed to making certain they are able to enjoy the same pay and benefits as people who are doing the exact same job at another employer.”

Republic has never indicated in any negotiating sessions that it cannot afford to pay the wages and health insurance provided by its competitors. In fact, Republic Services — the second-largest sanitation company in North America — enjoyed total revenue of $16 billion in 2024, a nearly six percent increase over the year prior. The firm also returned $1.18 billion to shareholders and close to $13 million to its CEO.

Government

Watertown City Manager, Municipal Leaders Urge Swift Resolution to Trash Strike

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Watertown DPWWatertown trash and recycling pickup has been uncollected since July 1 when workers at Republic Services went on strike. Watertown City Manager George Proakis joined several mayors, town managers, and town administrators urging company Republic Services to come to a deal to end the strike that has stopped trash and recycling collection since July 1, 2025. The letter also identifies weaknesses in the company’s response to the situation, including slowness of deploying backup resources and lack of communication. See the letter below. Dear Members of the Republic Services Leadership Team,

We write to you as municipal leaders from across the region and as customers of Republic Services, regarding the ongoing work stoppage caused by stalled union negotiations.