Trash piles up in Renton amid nationwide Republic Services strike
Trash piles up in Renton amid nationwide Republic Services strike
Hot, foul smelling garbage has been piling up over the last several days across neighborhoods in Renton because of a nationwide strike against Republic Services. Fox 13's Lauren Donovan joins with more information on the strike.
RENTON, Wash. - Garbage is piling up across Renton, spilling out of dumpsters into streets, filling downtown alleys with foul smells and attracting bugs—sparking health concerns from residents. The cause? A nationwide labor strike against Republic Services that has now reached the Puget Sound.
Republic Services sanitation workers have walked off the job in solidarity with fellow Teamsters who first initiated the strike in Boston. Local workers say they won’t return until the company negotiates a new agreement with its union employees.
Trash piles up in Renton amid strike from Republic Services employees.
Residents like Abby Klinkenberg, who works at a physical therapy practice downtown, are seeing the effects firsthand.
"There’s a lot of flies. Fruit flies. Rats," she said. "There’s garbage overflowing the trashcans."
Klinkenberg says both her workplace and apartment are surrounded by trash.
"Where I live, which is like two miles from here, there’s probably thirty to forty trash bags outside our garbage."
A local bar near her apartment reported that trash pickup was scheduled for Wednesday, but as of Monday, the garbage remains untouched.
Local perspective:
Online, the Renton Crime and Safety Facebook group is buzzing with complaints about growing rat sightings. One post read, "I was walking downtown with my dogs and they were on high alert because of the number of rodents coming out of various garbage cans and dumpsters around the city…"
The City of Renton has been issuing regular updates since July 10 in response to the mounting concern.
Trash piles up in Renton amid strike from Republic Services employees.
Republic Services notified customers via text Monday that pickups have been delayed due to an "out of market labor disruption." Instead of collecting compostables, the company said it will focus on garbage pickup during the next scheduled collection.
To better understand the origins of the dispute, FOX 13 spoke with Will Zekus, a transfer station equipment operator in Lacey, where the local picket line first formed.
"We’re a small group down here in Lacey," Zekus said. "We have six equipment operators and six drivers."
Zekus said workers are asking for wages that better reflect local living costs. What began as a modest labor action has since disrupted waste collection in other communities reliant on Republic Services, like Renton.
What they're saying:
"Everybody forgets how tough of a job we have until something like this takes place," he said.
While Zekus understands the public frustration, he said the issue could be resolved quickly if Republic Services would listen to their demands.
"This is not something that we’re proud of," he said. "All it takes is for Republic Services to meet us at the table and get the deal done."
In a statement to FOX 13, Republic Services confirmed that collection services remain disrupted across King and Snohomish counties due to the Teamsters-led work stoppage.
What's next:
The company said it is prioritizing critical locations such as hospitals, care facilities, and emergency services, with support from non-striking employees.
For residential customers, Republic Services plans to collect double the usual amount of garbage, recycling, and compost on the next scheduled pickup day at no additional charge. The company is also coordinating with local governments to establish temporary drop-off sites.
"We apologize to customers who have been impacted by the Teamsters’ decision to stop work and appreciate your patience," the statement read.
The Source: Information for this story came from original FOX 13 Seattle interviews.
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