Republic Services trash strike drags past Labor Day, leaving customers in limbo

What began as a summer standoff between Republic Services and the Teamsters union has now stretched into September, with no resolution in sight. The trash strike — now entering its 10th week — is affecting 14 communities across Massachusetts, and frustrations are mounting as bins overflow and contracts remain locked in place.

A local business left holding the bag

In Tewksbury, JBorstell Real Estate is one of many businesses caught in the crossfire. Owner Jeff Borstell says he tried to switch providers after Republic stopped collecting trash — but quickly hit a wall.

“I kind of figured out pretty quickly that if you have a contract with Republic, it’s hard to hire somebody else,” Borstell said. “They immediately were like, ‘We can’t help you.’ I don’t think that many companies want to get involved in that.”

With no other options, Borstell hired a third-party junk remover to handle the pickups. 

“I am paying that gentleman to remove my trash,” he said. “Republic has actually been somewhat nice about crediting my account.”

Still, the experience has left Borstell questioning future partnerships. 

“It might make me ask, ‘Are you a union-based company?’ Because if they do go on strike, it could happen again,” Borstell said.

Workers from Republic Services have been on strike for nearly two months, and one Malden leader said it is becoming a public health issue.

“We’re preparing for an even longer strike.”

Malden City Councilor Karen Colón Hayes says the city is bracing for continued disruption. 

“Now we’re preparing for an even longer strike,” she told NBC10 Boston Tuesday. 

Malden is one of several municipalities tied to long-term contracts with Republic Services, making it difficult to pivot to alternative waste management providers.

“We have a clause in our original contract,” Hayes said, referencing the city’s 20-year agreement, “that we did put in in case of a strike, what we could do.” 

Gov. Maura Healey weighed in, noting that “unfortunately, these are private contracts. I think ultimately municipalities will look at other companies.”

Mounting tensions and legal trouble

The strike began on July 1, when more than 400 Republic Services employees walked off the job. Since then, tensions have escalated. Republic has accused union workers of blocking trash trucks, and the company is now facing a lawsuit for allegedly failing to pay replacement workers for the first 90 minutes of each workday.

What’s next?

NBC10 Boston reached out to Republic Services for comment, but the company has not responded. With no clear timeline for negotiations to resume, residents and business owners alike are left wondering: Will trash pickup be on their holiday wish list this year?