Tentative agreement reached over garbage strike
Garbage piles up in Union City during a nationwide garbage strike. July 10, 2025
SAN MATEO, Calif. - The garbage strike affecting the Bay Area appears to be over. The waste management company says a tentative agreement has been reached.
The City of Stockton and San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa said on Friday that Republic Services and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which is the union for sanitation workers, have reached an agreement.
Trash collection is expected to resume as quickly as possible.
"We've reached a tentative agreement with Teamsters Local 439 for our Forward Landfill employees," Republic said in an emailed statement. "Local 439 has informed us that picket lines are coming down across the Bay Area, and our employees are returning to work tomorrow."
"We will work hard to catch up with needed recycling and waste collection as quickly as we can," Republic said.
No details of the agreement were released.
Canepa, who broke the news, posted on social media that this was great news as the strike was becoming a public health issue. In the past, Canepa had called out Republic to "pay your workers."
Earlier today, he posted to remind the sanitation company that they owed ratepayers money if they were not going to provide services.
The Republic Services Teamsters began their strike on July 3 on the East Coast. In the Bay Area, service stopped on July 8.
KTVU has learned the Teamsters from Stockton came to an agreement and that the agreement still needs to be voted on. Meanwhile, workers are being called back to work on Saturday.
In the Bay Area, the union was "sympathy striking" with Stockton.
Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia weighed in on social media to say that garbage, recycling, and green waste collection in West County resumes on Monday with Teamster employees back to work. However, he indicated "Republic intends to continue collection pickup this Saturday to catch up from the disruption."
Also praising the deal on Friday was Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez. Upon learning the strike had ended, Martinez issued a statement that said in part, "Picket lines have cleared and regular waste collection routes are resuming across Richmond. Republic is in the process of calling drivers and restoring full service as quickly as possible."
Temporary disposal options in Richmond will remain in place on Saturday, the mayor said.
During the strike, Republic Services set up containers in the interim for people to dispose of their own waste.
"We thank Richmond residents for their patience and for standing in solidarity with the Teamsters who carried out this action to demand fair treatment and better working conditions," said Martinez.
The strike has affected waste pickup in at least 25 cities across Northern California.
The strike occurred amidst national contract negotiations between the Teamsters and Republic Services, the second-largest waste management company in the U.S.
The Teamsters union represents about 8,000 of Republic Services' 42,000 employees.
Many Republic Services employees in the Bay Area had refused to cross picket lines, Republic Services shared on its website.
"We respect the rights of our employees to engage in collective bargaining and are committed to meeting the service needs of our customers," the company said.
Agreement reached over garbage strike
The Bay Area garbage strike appears to have come to an end on Friday. There is word from San Mateo County officials that a sanitation company and union workers have reached an agreement. Garbage will continue to be picked up.
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