Waste Management Strike Not Expected to Affect Lake Forest Park

Garbage truck drivers are supporting the strike against Waste Management that started Wednesday morning by the company’s recycling and yard waste truck drivers and are returning their trucks to the company, leaving some trash cans full at the curbside.

Teamsters Local 174 spokesman Michael Gonzales said his members’ contract allows each driver to determine if they will honor a strike by another local. “I’ve been driving around and I can tell you, most of our members are honoring the strike and driving back in.”

The after contract talks between Waste Management, which collects Woodinville’s recycling, garbage and yard waste, broke down last month. The 153 drivers have been working without a contract since the previous one expired on May 31.

Paul Zilly, Local 117 spokesman, said that the company has been threatening, coercing and retaliating against workers and that the strike will continue until it returns to the bargaining table.

The labor disruption will not impact those customers serviced by local hauler, Republic Services.  

Teamsters on June 2, ending the threat of suspending local recycling service in Lake Forest Park and other cities.

“Our agreement was the outcome of a collaborative and respectful process,” said Mike Huycke, Republic’s Northwest Area President. “Both Local 117 and Republic worked toward a mutually beneficial agreement, keeping the employee and the customer in mind. It was our goal to get to a solid contract expeditiously and respectfully.”

The reports of Waste Management's negotiations with Local 117 have generated a few calls to Republic’s customer service centers in the Puget Sound area. Huycke’s team is assuring customers that Republic and Local 117 successfully reached an agreement in June and did not expect any impacts to its customers due to on-going negotiations elsewhere.

“You may have seen media coverage about a disruption in the collection of recyclables and waste,” said Huycke. “To be clear, this is due to negotiations between the Teamsters and one of our competitors…and there is no reason to believe Republic’s customers will be impacted by this situation.”

Republic’s local team includes many drivers who are members of Local 117. They are integral to the company and to the community.

“Our employees are the highlight of what we do as a company,” added Huycke. “Each week our offices receive letters, emails and phone calls about drivers who have made a difference in the community.”

In the past few months, Republic drivers have received recognition for various good deeds, from pulling an elderly resident’s cart up to their house to saving the life of someone in trouble in the community.

--Kirkland Patch editor Greg Johnston contributed to this story.