Residents of Seattle continue to have their trash, recycling, and compost collected as scheduled, despite a garbage strike impacting waste services in several neighboring cities. Some Seattle residents have received text notifications indicating potential delays; however, these do not apply within the city limits.
In contrast, waste collection has been temporarily halted in areas such as Kent, Covington, Renton, Bellevue, Sammamish, Monroe, Snohomish, Lake Forest Park, Sultan, and Clyde Hill. Republic Services, the waste management company whose employees are currently striking, has confirmed this disruption. Unincorporated regions of King and Snohomish counties are also affected, according to a report by Axios. Residents in these areas can expect their recycling and garbage to be collected on their next scheduled service day, similar to procedures followed during weather-related disruptions.
Nationwide, approximately 2,000 workers are participating in the strike or supporting picket lines, including around 350 union members in Washington State, as reported by Teamsters union spokesperson Matt McQuaid. In a press release issued on Wednesday, Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien accused Republic Services of undercompensating its workforce.
Seattle residents are advised to continue placing their bins out for collection on their regular pickup days. However, those living outside the city should verify their service status with their waste provider. A picket line was observed on Thursday outside Republic’s recycling center in South Seattle, which processes the recycling collected from Seattle customers.
“We are prepared to flood the streets and disrupt garbage collection across multiple states,” O’Brien stated. In response, Republic Services issued an email expressing respect for workers’ rights to bargain and stated that the company is ready to continue negotiations.
