Photo: Courtesy of Sean Martin
PEABODY Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Republic Service sanitation workers entered day five of strike Saturday.
Teamster Local 25 officials, the union representing the workers, organized a protest on Newbury Street in Peabody Saturday, along with several union members from the Peabody Firefighters Union IAFF Local 925.
Kory Desmond, union president of the Peabody Firefighters Local 925, told WBZ NewsRadio that standing in solidarity with fellow unions is one of the most important things to do to uphold working people’s rights.
“Organized labor is a fight we all have to stand for, so we have safe working contracts,” he added. “It’s what we do as a union— we stand for what’s right.”
Since their contract expired on Monday, more than a dozen in Greater Boston are being affected by the work stoppages.
Read more: Hundreds of Local Sanitation Workers Strike; 16 Communities Affected
Teamster Local 25, the union representing more than 450 service workers, said they are fighting for higher wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions. According to officials, Republics has refused to meet on negotiated terms.
“The strike will take as long as necessary to make certain that Republic Teamsters get what they’ve rightfully earned,” Thomas G. Mari, President of Local 25, said. “We’re not looking for Republic to pay more than others. We just want them to meet the standards we’ve already established in Greater Boston.”
Meanwhile, a Republic Service spokesperson said that the company currently provides its workers with competitive wages and benefits, adding that “It is disappointing that the union called a work stoppage rather than continue negotiating in good faith toward a fair and competitive contract that benefits our employees and our customers. A work stoppage does not benefit our employees or the communities we serve.”
WBZ NewsRadio's Mike Macklin reports.