Bill Gates asked by city council in Massachusetts to help end Republic Services trash strike
Elected officials in one Massachusetts city are appealing to billionaire Bill Gates to intervene in a trash collectors strike that has lasted 16 days and counting.
The Peabody City Council sent a to Gates on Monday, asking him to use his influence "to take immediate and constructive action" to help end the strike. Gates controls Cascade Investment LLC, which is a major shareholder in the Republic Services waste collection company.
Letter to Bill Gates
The city councilors praised Gates for his charitable contributions in the field of global health, and then said overflowing dumpsters and trash cans in Massachusetts pose "urgent" health concerns.
"Time is of the essence," the letter states. "With summer heat intensifying and trash piling up, the consequences of inaction are not just political or financial - they are human and urgent."
Specifically, the letter calls on Gates to urge Republic Services leadership to negotiate in good faith and to encourage a deal that addresses workers' "legitimate demands."
"We hope you will rise to this occasion with the same thoughtfulness and sense of global responsibility that have defined much of your public life," the councilors said.
Trash strike in Massachusetts
The trash strike is affecting Boston businesses that use Republic Services as well as residents in 14 Massachusetts communities: Beverly, Canton, Danvers, Gloucester, Ipswich, Lynnfield, Malden, Manchester-By-The-Sea, Marblehead, North Reading, Peabody, Swampscott, Wakefield and Watertown.
The union said both sides met for more than 12 hours on Tuesday. Employees are fighting for better pay and benefits, but Republic Services said in a statement this week that Teamsters "are not taking negotiations seriously."
