Business & Tech

Trash Collectors' Strike for Fair Wages, Health Insurance Continues Thursday

Workers from two trash collection agencies in Montgomery County went on strike this week.

A strike that began Tuesday by workers of Unity Disposal and Recycling has picked up steam and supporters this week, leading to the disruption of trash collection services across the county.

About 70 workers—80 percent of Unity Disposal's trash-hauling workforce—began the strike outside Unity's Laurel headquarters in response to the firing of a co-worker who spoke up in support of affordable health insurance and fair wages, according to Nicole Duarte, communications director for the Laborers' International Union of North America, Mid-Atlantic Regional Organizing Coalition.

The strike continued on Wednesday, when Unity Disposal workers were joined in spirit by workers of Potomac Disposal, who went on strike outside their company's headquarters in Gaithersburg. Since the two companies both are contracted by Montgomery County for trash and recycling pick-up services, the strike involved about two-thirds of the county's trash collectors, Duarte said.

Most of Potomac Disposal's workers went on strike for three days last month over an alleged immigration threat, which took place the day after workers signed a letter asking for health insurance, Patch reported.

As of Wednesday, "the Potomac Disposal workers [had] received the last and best offer from their employer, and it still doesn’t include affordable health insurance," Duarte said.

Workers from both companies are striking through at least Thursday, Duarte added.

On Tuesday, the Unity workers' strike was slated to affect parts of Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Wheaton and Columbia. On Wednesday, the strike by workers from Unity Disposal was projected to affect trash collection and recycling services in parts of Chevy Chase, Silver Spring, Bethesda, Wheaton and Aspen Hill, along with some Howard County neighborhoods. The Potomac Disposal strike on Wednesday was slated to affect the Bradley Boulevard area of Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Potomac, Wheaton and the Georgia Avenue and Dennis Avenue areas of Silver Spring, Duarte said.

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett called a meeting Wednesday with the striking workers, their employers and the Laborers' International Union to end the strikes and meet the workers' requests for affordable health insurance and fair wages.

Editor's note:

This post has been edited to remove the following paragraph, which, originally, was at the end of the post: 

"But, because "Potomac Disposal and Unity Disposal and Recycling refused to attend the meeting ... the meeting was cancelled. As a result, both strikes will continue Thursday," Duarte said."

In fact, Leggett did meet with the management of both trash collection companies and with the union, Montgomery County Public Information Officer Esther Bowring told Patch.

The Patch regrets the error.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here