Community Corner
Recycle Worker Strike Ends, Normal Curbside Collection Resuming In Anne Arundel County
The sanitation worker strike just ended after 11 weeks in Anne Arundel County. Curbside collection will soon return to its normal schedule.
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Sanitation workers approved a new contract last week, ending an 11-week strike that disrupted curbside collection in several Anne Arundel County towns.
County Executive Steuart Pittman announced Saturday that Ecology Services reached a deal with Teamsters Local 570. The union members, who collect local recycling and yard waste, were frustrated with their pay and working conditions.
With a new collective bargaining agreement in place, Ecology will resume its normal collection schedule on Dec. 2.
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“I’m pleased that curbside collection services will soon return to normal for our residents in Service Areas 5, 8, and 15,” Pittman said in a press release. “I want to congratulate Ecology Services, Inc. and Teamsters Local 570 on reaching an agreement to resolve the strike. I also want to thank our Department of Public Works and the local contractors who stepped up over the past three months to ensure essential services were maintained for our communities.”
The strike began on Sept. 4, temporarily pausing collections in Laurel, Maryland City, Odenton, Pasadena and Severna Park.
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The Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works quickly tapped three contractors to fill in on the affected routes. The DPW told residents to place their bins at the curb on their normal collection day and workers would empty them within two days.
“Our Department of Public Works team, alongside local contractors MBG Refuse Service, Inc., Gunther Refuse Service, Inc., and Goode Companies, Inc., worked tirelessly—on evenings, weekends, and days off—to protect public health and keep our neighborhoods clean,” DPW Director Karen Henry said in the release. “I deeply appreciate their dedication and hard work throughout this challenging time.”
When the Teamsters went on strike, dozens of union members picketed outside the Ecology Services truck yard in Pasadena.
Ecology employees said they were offered a $3-per-day raise, but the Teamsters rejected that "best and final" offer.
Workers alleged that their trucks lack air conditioning and often have malfunctioning seatbelts. Some reported holes in the trucks' floors. Others complained of insufficient protective gear.
Patch contacted Ecology and the Teamsters for more information on the deal. Neither has responded to our request for comment. We will update this story if either replies.
To see photos from the strike and learn about worker frustrations, read Patch's exclusive interviews with union members on the picketlines.
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