As sanitation workers continue strike, residents and businesses start hauling trash to landfills

Thursday marked Eddie Carrillo’s third day this week hauling piles of trash from local restaurants to Chula Vista’s Otay Landfill. It’s a job usually done by sanitation workers employed by Republic Services, but they went on strike last week.

“Today, it’s a Panera Bread,” he said, pointing to the load in his pickup truck as he waited in line with about a dozen other cars. “(The restaurant) has been backing up for a few days. We’ve done loads for three days now.”

The unionized workers are demanding better pay and benefits. They said Thursday they will continue their strike through the holiday weekend. About 250 employees have walked off the job. Waste hauler officials said Wednesday they are committed to resolving the labor impasse. They did not have an update Thursday.

Meanwhile, residents and businesses in Chula Vista and other parts of San Diego County lined up at landfills to drop off trash that had been piling up for days.

Republic Services, the nation’s second-largest private sanitation company that services Chula Vista and other areas of San Diego County, announced that starting Thursday, “and until further notice,” customers can take their trash and recyclables to its two sites: Otay Landfill or Sycamore Landfill in Santee. The waste hauler said there would be no charge.

“Chula Vista landfill passes are not necessary. We apologize for this inconvenience and will continue to work hard to restore normal services as soon as possible,” the company added in an emailed statement.

Prior to Thursday, customers had been told to leave their waste carts out on their regularly scheduled day.

Many of those lined up at the Otay Landfill Thursday morning brought their blue recycling cans and green yard waste cans. But some residents raised concerns that not everyone has the capacity to drop off their waste.

“Not everyone can lug their 50lb cans of garbage to the dumpsite. Do they really expect families to do this? With what trucks? What about people with disabilities who are unable to do so,” said resident Alma Loe. “The city needs to apply pressure to Republic Services to resolve this matter while in conjunction hiring another company to come and service Chula Vista.”

Several residents took to social media to express their frustration over the new dropoff option that the city announced Wednesday on Facebook.

“If I am paying for these services to be done, why would I do them myself? Where is the refund from my bill while this issue is ongoing,” said Cheyenne Lariviere.

“So we are doing free labor for you while we still have to pay for a service we are not getting? End the strike by paying your republic employees what they deserve and ask for,” said Beck Lynn.

In 2014, Chula Vista approved a 10-year agreement with Republic Services, granting the company exclusive rights to collect and dispose of solid waste and recyclables from local homes and businesses. The waste hauler pays the city a 20 percent franchise fee, which was initially set at $962,800 and increases annually by 3 percent, according to the contract.

In September, the city approved Republic Services’ proposed service costs increases to help launch its new state-required food waste program. The fee increases for residential trash carts range from $2.79 a month for the smallest trash cart (32 gallons) to $4.26 for the largest (96 gallons).

Councilmember Steve Padilla said Wednesday he visited striking Chula Vista sanitation workers.

“Sanitation workers are essential workers,” Padilla said in a statement. “Their dedication has helped maintain the health and safety of our city — an especially difficult task during a global pandemic. I fully support the sanitation workers of Chula Vista in exercising their right to organize and demand change, as I do for all workers. They deserve to have pay and working conditions that reflect the essential role they play in our community.

“When Republic Services contracted with the City of Chula Vista to run our waste management, they accepted the obligation of maintaining labor peace and fair labor practices,” he said in a statement. “Now that their employees — many of whom have worked at the company for decades— have enacted their first ever strike, I implore Republic Services to act decisively to meet the needs of their workers and of Chula Vista residents.”