Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Teamster Local 25 union representing hundreds of trash collectors heads back to the negotiating table with the company Republic Services Tuesday.
As the workers’ stoppage entered week 3 after their contract with Republic Service expired earlier this month, several local and state officials are urging Republic Services to reach a deal as soon as possible.
On Tuesday, Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg sent a letter to Republic Services obtained by WBZ NewsRadio urging an immediate resolution to the labor strike.
“Such avoidable disruptions come at a steep price for cities and towns that must manage public health concerns, mounting waste, and unanticipated costs that ultimately fall on local budgets and taxpayers,” Goldberg wrote.
Boston City Council released a letter supporting that statement, emphasizing the escalating public health concerns in Boston as trash piles continue to build up in more than a dozen communities.
Read more: West Coast Teamsters Showing Solidarity With Massachusetts Trash Strikers
Republic Services representatives said the company offered the union a nearly 43% wage increase over the course of five years over the weekend after nine and half hours of negotiations.
The union turned down that offer.
Teamster Local 25 President Tom Mari said that the increase would still put their members’ wages a couple dollars below the wages of workers at similar companies.
“We tried everything to get a settlement,” said Mari. “We even proposed a delay in implementing our health insurance proposal to replace the inferior company health insurance which would have been a savings to the company, but it was to no avail.”
Tuesday’s meeting will resume with a Federal Mediator present.
Meanwhile, officials in North Reading, Wakefield, and Lynnfield said Republic Services are now violating its contract with those communities.