A trash collector strike in the Boston area is entering its fifth week with no resolution in sight, leading to overflowing dumpsters, exasperated politicians and a string of lawsuits.
More than 400 garbage haulers belonging to a local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters have been on strike since July 1 after failing to reach an agreement with their employer, Republic Services Inc., on demands for higher wages and better benefits. The work stoppage is affecting trash collection for residents in 14 Boston-area suburbs from Canton to Gloucester.
Apartment buildings and restaurants, places that generate greater volumes of trash, have been the most affected, with politicians warning teeming piles of garbage are rodent magnets and a public health crisis. Temperatures in downtown Boston are set to reach 97 degrees on Tuesday — which would match the city record for that date set in 1933, according to the National Weather Service — making the situation even stinkier.
Republic has said it’s offered to increase wages for the striking trash haulers by 16% immediately and by 43% over the five years of the proposed contract. The Teamsters have countered that the total value of the compensation agreement, including health insurance and other benefits, is still about $4 less per hour than what competitors Capitol Waste Services and Star Waste Systems offer their employees.
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