NEWS ANALYSIS: Serious situation worsens in Malden as trash workers’ strike continues into its 4th week

Mayor: City worker’s life threatened at trash drop-off site; Malden joins six-city lawsuit against Republic Services seeking injunction

By Steve Freker

No one who goes to work for a city department ever signed up for what Malden Mayor Gary Christenson described when speaking at a press conference in Salem on Thursday. “This morning when a resident was told he missed the trash drop-off time [the resident] threatened to shoot one of our employees,” the Mayor related, in reference to one of the many measures this city has taken in response to the Republic Services trash workers strike, which is now in its fourth week.

With intermittent, limited pickups by replacement workers not nearly enough, the city — and 17 other North Shore communities — remains embroiled in the worst regional health emergency since the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 and 2021. Even in the depths and tribulations of that morass of issues, responses and incidents, it did not sink to the level of a visceral threat of violence described by Mayor Christenson that day. The health emergency is real, however, and is a threat to Malden residents’ lives along with the other communities whose trash pickups have been disrupted by the strike, which began July 1 when Republic Services workers, who are members of Teamsters Local 25, walked off the job, citing demands for better wages and benefits.

Also on the front lines of the Malden trash crisis is longtime Malden Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Bob Knox, who, along with the Mayor and other city officials, has been dealing with the strike and the trash woes all day, every day. “It’s like a 100-degree blizzard out here dealing with this for the last 17 days,” Knox said in an online news report shortly after a press conference where Mayor Christenson and five other regional mayors — from Beverly, Canton, Danvers, Gloucester and Peabody — filed a lawsuit in Essex Superior Court in Salem on July 17.

The lawsuit sought injunctive relief demanding Republic Services fulfill its contracts by picking up the accumulating trash and garbage and also paying the municipalities’ already incurred costs of responding to the crisis locally. “The accumulation of trash and recycling throughout the municipalities has resulted in nuisances and sources of filth and causes of sicknesses,” the complaint stated, citing infestations of rats, insects and other pests due to the overwhelming trash piling up. In Malden there have even been flocks of seagulls causing unsightly messes picking at the trash and garbage.

In court on Tuesday, a lawyer for Republic says the company is doing its best to pick up trash during the strike, saying that “service is near-normal” — which has been strongly challenged and disputed by the communities affected.

Essex Superior Court Judge Kathleen McCarthy-Neyman questioned how effective the community’s order would be if Republic said it is doing the best it can, according to an online report: “If they’re doing everything they can, what is the benefit of issuing an injunction making them do something?” Judge McCarthy-Neyman said. “Because there is a strike going on, which apparently, they’re legally entitled to strike with the union, what good is the injunction going to do?”

The judge said she would take the request from Malden and the other communities “under advisement” with the expectation of issuing a ruling. No ruling had been forthcoming as of the Advocate’s press time.

“I don’t think there’s any validity to what [Republic’s] defense attorney said at all,” Beverly Mayor Michael Cahill said in WCVB-Channel 5 report. “The second-largest waste and recycling hauler in the nation, who tout that at every turn with us, bring resources to our communities and pick it all up.”

“That’s just not happening right now,” the Beverly Mayor added.

The courts have already been involved in the strike situation, as Republic Services has sued the union, Teamsters Local 25, citing alleged tactics they say picketing members have employed. In one case, they accused an unknown worker of stealing a company truck, which was found a short time after it went missing, according to an online report. In other cases, Republic Services has said Teamsters have hurled insults at managers and replacement workers, and blocked their entry into Republic’s property in Revere.

The Teamsters union has accused the company of not negotiating in good faith as they bargained for a new contract. Workers said they want a salary increase that the Teamsters have said would bring the Republic workers’ pay at least even with other waste haulers’ pay. The striking workers are also seeking to address health and other benefit agreements contractually.

A federal court judge in Boston denied Republic’s motions for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to end the strike.

In a statement released by Teamsters Local Union No. 25 President Tom Mari, it stated, “Frankly, I’m not surprised. We knew the allegations made by Republic did not justify any action by the federal court. As usual, Republic misled the court about our conduct. Maybe now Republic will come to its senses and come back to the bargaining table to resolve the strike.”

The City of Malden has established municipal trash and recycling drop-off sites and times during the week to help residents manage their needs during this crisis. (Please see Separate Story in this Advocate edition.) Daily updates for Malden residents as well as many other points of information on the trash pickup disruption are available on the city’s website: www.cityofmalden.org

If the daily status table indicates that your scheduled collection day was completed but your trash is still at the curb, please submit a report through SeeClickFix using the category “Trash Missed Pickup.”

City of Malden establishes drop-off options for trash and recycling at municipal sites

To help residents manage during this time, the City of Malden has established trash and recycling drop-off options at the Malden Department of Public Works’ DPW Yard, 356 Commercial St. (Trash and Recycling) and Ferryway School, 150 Cross St. (Recycling ONLY). This information on the city website’s “Trash Disruption” page (www.cityofmalden.org) is updated daily with the latest collection schedules, service changes and drop-off availability.

“Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation as we navigate this service disruption together,” city officials tell residents on that page.

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Drop-Off Options

Recycling Drop-Off: DPW Yard (356 Commercial St.); Mondays & Wednesdays, 3 p.m.–8 p.m.

Recycling Drop-Off: Ferryway School (150 Cross St.); Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 8 a.m.–2 p.m.; Saturdays, 7 a.m. –3 p.m.

Household Trash Drop-Off: – DPW Yard (356 Commercial St.); Tuesdays & Thursdays, 3 p.m.–8 p.m.

  Blue bags are not required for curbside or drop-off trash.

Yard Waste Drop-Off: DPW Yard (356 Commercial St.); Wednesday, 3 p.m.–7 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m.–3 p.m.