'Beyond Untenable': North Shore Trash Strike Nears 8th Week With No New Talks In Sight

PEABODY, MA — More than a dozen cities and towns across the North Shore and Greater Boston continue to voice frustration and threaten litigation against Republic Services as trash and recycling disruptions extend toward an eighth week amid the Teamsters Union Local 25 sanitation workers' strike.

Gov. Maura Healey sent the president of Republic Services another open letter in recent days, slamming the company for the lack of talks. The last bargaining session was held on July 18, with officials in several communities indicating that no new talks were scheduled as of Monday morning.

"Your company's failure to resolve or even meaningfully address this prolonged strike is unacceptable," Healey said. "For seven weeks now, trash and recycling have been piling up in neighborhoods during the heat of summer, impacting public health and quality of life for thousands of Massachusetts residents. Communities across the state are being forced to bear the consequences and costs of stalled negotiations between your company and its workforce.

"This situation is beyond untenable."

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Healey said the lack of movement in contract offers is "endangering public well-being."

"The fact that you haven't returned my calls is a reflection of your unacceptable approach to this urgent matter," Healey said. "The time for delay and posturing is over.

"It is time to resolve this — now."

Adding increased urgency to the unease is the start of the new school year over the next two weeks in most of the affected communities. Malden has been using one of its schools as a trash drop-off site for those with delayed or missed deliveries, which has reached overflow status and will not be available once school begins.

Danvers Town Manager Jill Cahill said she has been working with town counsel "to identify and implement the most effective strategies to uphold our contractual rights."

"I do not think anyone expected it to last this long, especially with no meaningful efforts toward reconciliation from either side," she said in a letter to the community. "We have firmly communicated to Republic Services that we will not pay for unrendered services and are pursuing compensation for the costs incurred by the town.

"We recognize that residents want to know how this will impact the trash fee. At this time, it is too early to determine if a reduced trash fee is feasible, but it is certainly up for consideration, and we understand the request."

Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt added in a message to that city's residents: "We continue to be united as a community in urging for immediate talks to resume and a swift resolution."

In Beverly, trash pickup will be delayed one day for all residents and businesses this week, so Republic can dedicate all five trucks assigned to the city to recycling pickup that, in many cases, has not happened in a month.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)