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.
The strike affects garbage pickup in Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater, and Yelm, though it remains unclear which neighborhoods will see delays.
As the strike spread, Republic confirmed it had suspended collection services in King and Snohomish counties for July 9.
Cities affected include Seattle, Bellevue, Kent, Lynnwood, and Renton.
“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.
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