Chula Vista scolds Republic Service for lingering strike, may sever ties with waste hauler

Chula Vista council members, frustrated by a month-long labor strike between its waste hauler and its workers, on Tuesday said they are considering a slate of actions against Republic Services.

Alleging the company is in default of its contract, the council said it is weighing declaring a public health emergency, demanding Republic immediately credit customers for the month of December and investigating possible enforcement and legal actions against Republic.

Ultimately, the city said, it may end its contract with the company, the second-largest waste hauler in the nation.

“I just want to let you know that it disappoints the hell out of me that we’ve gotten to this point because it didn’t have to get to this point,” Mayor Mary Casillas Salas told Republic Services representatives. “The strike has to end and it has to end with a fair contract.”

Mary Casillas Salas, mayor of Chula Vista, addresses Richard Coupland, Republic vice president of sales at the Chula Vista City Council meeting on Tuesday.

(Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Tuesday’s meeting comes after more than 250 workers with Teamsters Local Union 542 walked off the job Dec. 17 demanding better wages and benefits. The strike left residential, commercial and industrial customers throughout San Diego County scrambling to dispose of their waste.

Some of the unionized workers walking the picket lines were in attendance and addressed the council, saying all they are seeking is a livable wage. Workers get paid $24.60 an hour and have negotiated for a $2 wage increase.

“What you can see are the effects that it has had on employees and their families: the loss of wages, the benefits, the struggles to pay rent, bills and essentials are now weighing heavy on all of us,” said Cesar Silva, a driver with Republic Services for 16 years. “We are ready to go back to work and clean up our city, but before doing that, we need to come to an agreement with the company or we will continue to fight together for the fair contract we deserve.”

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Richard Coupland, a vice president with Republic Services, headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., said he agrees the striking workers are essential workers. But he said they make the same average salaries as other essential workers, such as teachers, police officers and paramedics and he said the company’s offer is fair. “The ball is in their court,” he said of striking workers.

Republic Services General Managers Matt Kross and Neil Mohr said they would like workers to reconsider their latest offer, which employees rejected last week.

“We welcome our employees back any day they are ready to come back,” said Kross, adding the company is “compelled at this stage to post positions to hire additional replacements.”

“You can strike a fair bargain for workers. If you put your mind to it and forget about corporate profits,” Casillas Salas told Republic Services. “You owe it to your workers to come to a fair agreement and you owe it to this community to start building relationships again.”

Casillas Salas pointed out that the company reaped profits exceeding $1 billion and that its board of directors were each awarded $230,000 this past year.

On Tuesday in the Rancho Del Rey community, trash cans await curbside trash collection services to resume.

(Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Republic Services is the only company providing waste collection in Chula Vista. Its contract with the city expires on June 30, 2024, “unless extended or earlier terminated,” reads the agreement.

The 2014 contract excuses Republic Services from performing its duties due to an “uncontrollable circumstance,” which includes strikes or work stoppages. Republic Services notified the city that it was experiencing an uncontrollable circumstance on Dec. 17, which is required under the agreement, said Manuel Medrano, the city’s environmental services manager.

Councilmembers Steve Padilla and Jill Galvez suggested the city exercise its “Self Help” rights under the agreement, meaning the city may collect trash in the event Republic Services fails to do so and make the waste hauler liable for all expenses incurred. The move would establish collection sites at city locations with help from city employees. Republic Services would have to provide equipment and staffing to pick up trash from the sites and transport it to the landfill at their expense.

Galvez requested that Republic Services issue a full credit for all local customers for each month that the strike continues.

Council members had also requested that the city manager return within 90 days with a suggested process and timeline to begin a request for proposal for waste collection within the city in anticipation of the contract’s expiration in 2024. Galvez said that was too long and an immediate remedy was needed.

The city of San Diego, which Republic Services also serves in addition to some unincorporated San Diego County areas, has also threatened to act against the waste hauler.

Two weeks ago, San Diego said that Republic Services had violated its contract by allowing garbage to pile up and demanded that it show its plan to “immediately redress these issues.” The waste hauler responded, saying it has brought out-of-area drivers, among other relief work it said it’s doing, to collect trash as the strike continues.

On Monday, San Diego said Republic Services’ approach is not enough. Its emailed statement read:

“The City has requested additional information on actions the company will take to implement the full suite of required services for its customers within San Diego. Republic’s current action plan does not fully satisfy the requirements of their franchise within the City of San Diego. It’s our understanding they intend to collect recycling, green waste, and trash in a single truck, which does not live up to its obligation to collect and process these categories of refuse separately.”

Meanwhile, customers from outside of Chula Vista have expressed via letters to Republic Services that they feel “completely in the dark” over what they feel is a lack of communication and service.

“I looked on your website, and there is a page devoted to Chula Vista residents, but your company serves a much wider swath than just Chula Vista,” read a Monday letter from Spring Valley resident Pete Saucedo. “The fact that a trash truck came through our community last Wednesday to pick up the trash of a few residents does not count, but rather is part of the problem – confusion and no communication.”

Negotiations between workers and the waste hauler are expected to continue, however, no date has yet been established.