Republic Services trash strike heads to court Tuesday after 6 Massachusetts communities sue
Six cities and towns in Massachusetts struggling with the Republic Services trash collectors strike will go to court Tuesday.
The communities - Canton, Danvers, Gloucester, Beverly, Peabody and Malden - are suing to force the company to pick up growing piles of garbage and recycling.
Union workers walked off the job July 1 demanding better pay and benefits from Republic Services. The strike has now lasted three weeks.
The six communities filed a joint complaint last Thursday, asking a judge to intervene in the strike. A hearing was scheduled to be held at 2 p.m. Monday in Salem Superior Court. That hearing has now been moved to Tuesday at 2 p.m.
"We filed suit to try to get some relief from the courts to require Republic to pick up our trash and recycling," Beverly Mayor Michael Cahill told WBZ-TV last week.
Cahill said Republic Services told them earlier this summer that if there was a strike, the towns wouldn't have to worry.
"They promised that they were a big national company, and they would have resources in our communities to pick up our trash and recycling," Cahill said. The mayor added that health department inspectors found about 25 Republic dumpsters overflowing in Beverly last week.
"It is disappointing that these six communities have taken this route as we continue to work with our municipal partners to address their needs," Republic Services said in a statement after the lawsuit was filed.
The company and Teamsters Local 25 have been meeting with a federal mediator but have not been able to agree on a new contract.
Republic has contracts for trash pickup in 14 cities and towns across Massachusetts and with businesses in other communities, including Newton and Boston.