Tentative Deal Reached to End Bay Area Trash Strike, Teamsters Say

Updated at 6:45 p.m.

A tentative agreement has been reached between striking workers and a waste management company that serves several Bay Area cities, a union representative confirmed Friday.

“We’ve reached a tentative agreement with Teamsters Local 439 for our Forward Landfill employees,” Republic Services said in a statement. “Local 439 has informed us that picket lines are coming down across the Bay Area, and our employees are returning to work tomorrow.”

Workers went on strike in early July after monthslong contract negotiations between their union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and Republic Services hit a standstill. Earlier Friday, the company issued a warning that workers who continued to strike would have their health care benefit contributions revoked — unless they agreed to cross the picket line and return to work, union leaders said.

Cities considered legal action against the company as the trash went uncollected.

Catch up fast: The strike started in the Boston area, where Teamsters-represented Republic Services workers voted to walk off the job in response to what union leaders described as the company’s refusal to match the wage and benefits packages offered by other waste management companies. The labor action spread across the country, and more than 2,000 Teamsters workers at Republic Services are now on strike or honoring picket lines nationwide, the union said. The company has resorted to hiring replacement workers to mitigate growing trash and waste pileups.

While Teamsters workers in Stockton are among those on strike as they seek an agreement on a new contract, others across the Bay Area have stopped work in solidarity.

Republic Services “still says no to any better medical and any retirement and still low wages,” said Gilbert Gomez, a representative for Stockton-based Teamsters Local 439. “They rather spend millions [of] dollars bringing in out-of-state replacement workers and everything else instead of settling with 35 [Local 439] members that are their employees.”

In the Bay Area, residents in Daly City, Half Moon Bay, San José, Richmond and other cities reported trash piling up and reduced services. Though limited trash pick-up has resumed in most cities, some have set up temporary drop-off sites and dumpsters.

The latest: Republic Services notified workers this week that it planned to cancel medical benefits for all workers who refused to come back to work, Gomez said. In a message that was forwarded to KQED by union representatives, Republic Services allegedly told workers that benefit contributions will end Saturday. Employees who do not return to work by Monday will be responsible for paying the full cost of their benefits, including medical, dental and vision, according to the statement.

“You are welcome to return to work even while the Teamsters organization continues its strike, in which case the company will continue paying for your benefits — the choice is yours,” the message read.

Meanwhile, city officials across the Bay Area are urging Republic Services to reach an agreement with union members to end the labor action. Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi demanded in a social media post on Thursday that the company resolve “the trash situation” by sitting down with workers and union leaders.

Fugazi also called on Republic Services to provide customers with a refund for the services delayed by the strike, adding that the city will end its contract with the company if the situation is not resolved.

“There are fast food workers who are making more than our waste haul employees,” Fugazi said in her Facebook post. “That’s not right, and we need to get this trash picked up. Republic Services, they’re willing to sit at the table with you. They’re available 24/7 to settle this contract and get back to work.”

City officials in Daly City, Fairfield and Suisun City have also threatened to pursue legal action against Republic Services if services do not resume. The company has been warned that it is “in violation of our contract,” Fairfield Mayor Catherine Moy said on Facebook.

By the numbers: Last year, Republic Services reported a net income of $512 million — a more than $70 million increase from 2023. Meanwhile, negotiations between the company and striking workers demanding better wages and benefits have been fruitless. Teamsters leaders noted that competitors offer better compensation packages, and workers are demanding that Republic Services follow suit.

“Our members are everyday Americans performing essential services across our communities, but Republic is unwilling to offer workers good wages, decent benefits, or a fair contract,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a statement. “We don’t want this garbage piling up. We want to return to work. But we refuse to be exploited.”

The bottom line: Bay Area city officials were calling on the company to compensate residents and to reach a contract agreement with the union as soon as possible. It is likely that residents would continue to see reduced collection services as long as the strike continued, although cities and the company were working to find temporary solutions.