The trash in much of Chula Vista has not been picked up since last Thursday as local Republic Services workers honor a picket line. As a result, Mayor John McCann called an emergency meeting of the city council Monday night, to get a briefing on the situation from the city’s trash company, Republic Services.
About two dozen Republic drivers showed up to the meeting, along with a handful of Chula Vista residents. Some of those residents said they were being made to pay the price of trash piling up because of a strike by Republic drivers in Boston.
More than 7,000 Republic drivers throughout the country are represented by the Teamsters. The Boston local has been asking select groups of drivers throughout the United States to honor their strike by not showing up to work — something they’re allowed to do under U.S. labor law.
The local drivers work out of a yard in the South Bay that services Chula Vista, along with mainly commercial clients in Imperial Beach, San Ysidro and Otay Mesa. The other drivers in San Diego County have not been tapped to participate in the labor action — so far.
The head of Teamsters Local 542, Secretary/Treasurer Jaime Vasquez, said Republic is engaging in corporate greed. He said the company generated a net profit of $2 billion last year.
At the City Council meeting, representatives of the local Republic operation said they are calling in drivers from other locations to help pick up the slack in the South Bay. They said those drivers should be in place by Wednesday.
Chula Vista City Manager Maria Kachadoorian said she does have the power to declare an emergency, in which case, city workers could help pick up the trash. When this happened before in late 2021, the city also contracted with other operators, and billed Republic. Kachadoorian said things are not bad enough, yet, to declare an emergency.
As for the San Diego local, Vasquez said they’re planning to begin negotiations with Republic next year when their contract will expire.
