PEABODY, Mass. — As bags of trash overflow from barrels and spill from dumpsters in some Bay State communities, Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton took to the picket line on Tuesday morning in support of striking waste collectors.
On Day 8 of the strike against Republic Services, support grew for Teamsters Local 25 members who have been seeking fairer wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions as Moulton rallied alongside sanitation workers at the Republic Services location at 277 Newbury Street in Peabody and handed out Kane’s doughnuts.
“Right now, they’re just not getting a fair deal. This company [Republic] has a reputation of giving people a raw deal,” Moulton told reporters at the picket line. “They need to know that we don’t just stand with them on the line, we stand with them in person, and we’re willing to fight for their rights.”
The Teamsters have alleged that 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.
“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 in a statement. “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.”
The Massachusetts towns affected by the strike are:
- Peabody
- Manchester-by-the-Sea
- Gloucester
- Wakefield
- Marblehead
- Malden
- Beverly
- Danvers
- North Reading
- Lynnfield
- Swampscott
- Arlington
- Watertown
- Canton
On Monday, residents in Canton were relieved to see their trash collected after a week without service, especially with the recent heat and holiday weekend exacerbating the situation.
Republic Services and the Teamsters have been meeting through a federal mediator.
Republic told Boston 25 that they have brought in out-of-state workers to pick up trash in some communities while the strike continues.
Boston 25 News reached out to Republic for reaction to Moulton’s comments but has yet to hear back.
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