CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) – The work stoppage that left trash across Chula Vista and in other South Bay cities uncollected for just over a week came to an end on Wednesday.
In a statement to ABC 10News, Republic Services said its South Bay employees were back on the job Wednesday and resuming regular service “as quickly as possible.”
The company added, “We ask our residential customers to leave their containers out until they are serviced. We empathize with the community’s frustration that this situation has caused.”
Mayor John McCann confirmed that the work stoppage ended, and in a statement, he said:
“I am proud to have taken quick action to help end the strike in Chula Vista by conducting an emergency meeting that put pressure on Republic Services by setting a deadline for declaring a State of Emergency that would have been today, and requiring them to bring in outside drivers.
I want to thank our residents for their patience and understanding during this unnecessary strike. We recognize the inconvenience this stoppage caused, and I’m proud to announce that service has resumed today. It is unfortunate that a strike in Boston affected service in Chula Vista. I am committed to keeping Chula Vista clean and safe for all residents.”
City officials added, "Additional collection crews and extended hours will be used to catch up on missed pickups."
Last week, Republic Services workers in Boston went on strike, demanding better pay and benefits.
In several cities across the U.S., including locations in the South Bay, thousands of Republic Services workers showed their support for the striking Boston employees by walking off the job.
As a result, trash was not picked up in Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, San Ysidro, and Otay Mesa over the past several days.
Earlier this week, Chula Vista leaders considered declaring a city state of emergency if the work stoppage went on for several more days.
There is no immediate word on if the Boston-based workers agreed to end their strike.
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