Chula Vista Sanitation Strike Comes To An End

By Jesse Marx, the Voice of San Diego

January 20, 2022

This post originally appeared in the Jan. 18 Morning Report. Subscribe here for free.

A majority of Teamsters Local 542 voted yes Monday on a new collective bargaining agreement, bringing an end to their month-long strike. The terms were nearly identical to a previous offer put forth by Republic Services, a private waste disposal company, and rejected by the union, but also included a $1,000 bonus to get back on the job. The new contract includes a $4.90 increase per hour over the next five years.

After the labor dispute began, the company brought in non-unionized workers as pressure from local governments mounted.

In recent days, Chula Vista redirected its public works and other employees to help pick up the trash overflowing in dumpsters at apartment complexes. At a special meeting on Saturday, the City Council ratified an emergency declaration and began laying the groundwork to impose fines against Republic Services.

City officials grilled the company’s managers last week but their franchise agreement limits how much pressure Chula Vista can apply, Jesse Marx reported last week.

The strike has also affected parts of San Diego and the unincorporated county because the workers are part of the same collective bargaining agreement. In a statement Friday, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said he was giving the company until Monday to resolve its labor dispute before considering harsher options, including fines and a suspension of the franchise agreement.

The county, the Union-Tribune reports, also told Republic Services that the strike is not an excuse for violating its agreement and gave the company until Tuesday to come up with a plan for resuming trash services.

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