THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. — A strike by trash collectors in Thurston County has expanded across Western Washington, disrupting waste collection services in multiple cities, according to Teamsters Local 252 and Republic Services.
Teamsters Local 252, which represents Republic Services workers in Thurston County, walked off the job early Wednesday morning.
The union is protesting what it describes as “unfair labor practices” and is calling for higher wages, improved benefits, and stronger worker protections.
While the facility is in Thurston County, which employs the 12 striking workers, Thurston County government leaders say curbside trash service will not be impacted. However, strikes in solidarity occurred at transfer stations in Kent, Lynwood, Seattle, and Bellevue, interrupting trash pickup in King and Snohomish Counties.
Over a year ago, a dozen workers at the Thurston County facility voted to unionize. A contract has yet to be agreed to. The strike joins four others across the nation. Teamsters say Republic Services employees make 13 percent less than workers in comparable jobs at other companies. They believe the company can afford it, pointing to $1.18 Billion paid out to shareholders and $13 million paid to its CEO in 2024. The CEO’s salary is 170 times the average pay of a trash hauler, Teamsters said.
As trash bins went uncollected in Kent, KIRO 7 spoke to customers who support the strike.
“We all have to stick together. The bottom dollar for all of us is what matters most, we’re all struggling.” David Orange said, a Republic Services customer.
In a statement, the company responded to the strikes saying “we respect the rights of our employees to engage in collective bargaining and are ready to continue discussions with the union to reach agreements that benefit our employees, our customers and our company. ”
The company acknowledged the strike on its webpages.
“Collection services are suspended today, July 9th, due to an out-of-market labor disruption that has caused a work stoppage at Republic Services’ operations in King County and Snohomish County,” the company posted on its websites. “As with inclement weather service delays, Republic Services will collect double garbage, recycling, and organic materials on your next regularly scheduled service day at no additional charge.”
Republic apologized for the inconvenience and thanked customers for their patience.
Though the core strike effort is centered in Thurston County, Teamsters workers at several transfer stations in the region are now joining the picket line in solidarity.
According to union leaders, members in the Seattle area are “honoring the picket line” by not collecting trash on Wednesday, though they have not formally declared a strike.
Teamsters say the work stoppage in Washington is part of a broader national action against Republic.
Similar protests and walkouts have been launched by Teamsters locals in Massachusetts, Illinois, Georgia, and California.
Union leaders have warned that the strike could expand to involve up to 3,500 workers nationwide.
As of Wednesday morning, it was not known how long the strike would continue or how many customers in total would be affected.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story indicated curbside pickup would be affected in Thurston County, as stated by Teamsters 252. Thurston County leaders say that is not correct. While the facility where workers are striking is in Thurston County, Republic Services does not operate curbside services there.
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