Bay Area cities set up temporary trash drop-off sites as Teamsters strike continues

As the nationwide garbage standoff between Teamsters union members and Republic Services continues, some Bay Area cities are resorting to temporary drop-off sites this weekend to appease residents’ concerns about mounting trash.

Teamsters and their other union allies throughout the country have shut down Republic-operated trash collections and landfills until further notice, following members in Boston who originally started striking on July 1.

Teamsters Local 439 drivers, employed by the Republic waste management company, set up picket lines in Manteca in front of Forward Landfill earlier this week, demanding a new contract and better pay and benefits. Sean O’Brien, president of the union, called it a nationwide garbage “war.”

In Fremont, Newark and Union City, officials have identified three drop-off sites as neighborhood bins fill to the brim. Officials are directing residents — with proof of Tri-City residency — to take their trash to:

— The Fremont Recycling and Transfer Station, at 41149 Boyce Road in Fremont. The facility operates Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is closed on Sundays.

— Union City Parking Lot #1 near Union City BART, 11th Street and Decoto Road. This collection site is open 24/7.

— Mark Green Sports Center, 31224 Union City Blvd, This collection site is open 24/7.

Fremont officials on Friday said in a statement that the service disruption “is understandably concerning” and that the city is working “to restore service as quickly as possible for our community.”

Newark officials posted a notice online Saturday saying the city “has no further information on when the work stoppage will end.” But they also said “substitute drivers” on Friday began some residential trash collection. Recycling and compostables will continue to go uncollected.

“Resolving this issue remains a top priority, as we understand the inconvenience and challenges this is causing for our residents and neighborhoods,” Newark officials wrote.

Republic told this news organization in a statement that company officials “have mobilized additional Republic Services employees from other areas to assist with collections in the Bay Area. We expect to resume some residential collection in the coming days and will continue updating customers via text, automated phone messages and emails.”

“We are asking all residents to leave their containers out as we work hard to resume regular service,” Republic wrote.

It is still unclear when regular service is expected to resume.

Other affected areas in Northern California include Stockton, San Jose, Solano County, Fairfield, Suisun City, San Pablo, Richmond, Hercules, Pinole, Rodeo, Crockett, El Sobrante, Piedmont, East Richmond Heights, Bay View, Tara Hills, North Richmond, Rollingwood, Union City, Newark, Fremont, Half Moon Bay, Daly City and Colma.

Teamsters spokesman Matthew McQuaid said in an interview Saturday that he was not informed that Republic would be sending in “scabs,” or workers who cross union picket lines, to resume some collections.

“Normally, when employers bring in scabs, they hire locally and you can see job postings online, which we haven’t seen. If they are using scabs, they must be bringing in people from out of town, which is pitiful,” McQuaid said. “Our members aren’t crossing the picket line, and I don’t think Republic is hiring locally.”