Boston, MA
Massachusetts trash strike: Greater Boston leaders say Republic Services is failing
Leaders of the Greater Boston communities where trash is piling up say they are feeling the financial burden of the ongoing sanitation worker strike, threatening to press fines against Republic Services.
Striking members of Teamsters Local 25 and the waste management giant are not negotiating this weekend, pushing off next conversations until Tuesday after the sides failed to settle on an agreement on Friday.
As municipal leaders say their concerns grow by the day amid the dispute, they are demanding that Republic Services “provide accurate and updated timelines and service expectations” and “expand driver resources and logistical support to guarantee the daily completion of all trash and recycling routes.”
Their demands and concerns are outlined in a letter that they sent to the company on Friday, while striking workers and Republic Services accused each other of not taking their proposals seriously.
Officials from Gloucester, Danvers, Beverly, Canton, Ipswich, Lynnfield, Malden, Manchester-by-the-Sea, North Reading, Peabody, Swampscott, Wakefield, Watertown all signed onto the letter.
“Our communities are already bearing the cost of this disruption, both in personnel and material resources, as we work to mitigate the impacts of the service interruption and delay in full service resumption,” the letter states. “It is entirely reasonable – and necessary – for municipalities to take steps to secure alternative services that protect public health and maintain basic standards of cleanliness and safety.”
“We fully intend to seek appropriate compensation for the consequential damages and expenses incurred as a direct result of Republic Services’ failure to meet its obligations,” the officials added.
They highlighted that they are tracking the costs, including labor and emergency response efforts, to “determine the full extent of the financial burden.”
In an update on Saturday, Local 25 President Tom Mari stated that the union met with Republic Services at the request of a federal mediator on Friday, with the unsuccessful negotiation session ending after 9.5 hours.
Mari added that the union wanted to continue bargaining over the weekend.
“I feel bad for the citizens in the cities and towns serviced by Republic,” he stated. “We have no idea why Republic refused to meet for another three days, but we will show up Tuesday morning ready to agree to a contract that brings Republic’s employees up to the standards we’ve established for the employees of Capitol and Boston Carting.”
Republic Services says its proposed nearly 16% immediate wage increase and roughly 43% pay increase over five years, offered on Friday, “outpaces competitors.” According to the company, payroll data shows that almost half of the Boston regional union members already earn six-figure salaries annually.
The company also claims the union is attempting to force workers out of the “zero-premium healthcare plan” offered by Republic and into the “Teamsters’ health and welfare plan, which offers no significant benefit at a substantially higher cost.”
The sides have met for 11 days, twice with a federal mediator, who requested mediation to continue on Tuesday, according to Republic Services.
“When a wage proposal this significant is combined with zero-premium healthcare and generous retirement contributions,” the company stated in an update Friday night, “there is no question who is responsible for this ongoing strike: Teamsters Local 25 and its president Tom Mari.
“It is time for the Teamsters to get serious about negotiations so our employees can return to work,” the company added.
Greater Boston is not the only region in the country dealing with heaping trash piles.
Mari has said roughly 4,000 Teamsters are refusing to report to work nationally until Republic Services “bargains fair and equitable contracts.”
Dozens of state lawmakers are also pressuring Republic Services to settle on a contract with Teamsters Local 25, which represents more than 400 members employed by the company.
“As legislators, we are disappointed to learn that despite multiple meetings, Republic Services has failed to meet basic community standards,” they stated in a letter to the company on Friday.
Beverly Mayor Mike Cahill said in a memo to residents in his North Shore city that officials there had to direct Republic Services to a “number of streets they had repeatedly missed,” noting “we have seen good results, particularly in the downtown.”
The company is also running a day behind schedule, the mayor added.
“I, together with Mayors and Town Administrators from the other 13 communities impacted by this labor dispute between Republic and their drivers and collectors unions, are working together and pushing for Republic to get more drivers into our communities,” Cahill said, “because Republic is not fulfilling their contracts with any of our fourteen cities and towns or with their many commercial customers in our communities.”
Leaders from the affected communities told Republic Services in their letter that they are dealing with more than just the mounting financial burden, as they “deploy emergency responses, address overflow issues, and fill service gaps.”
“At the same time,” they added, “environmental conditions are deteriorating, with uncollected trash affecting neighborhoods, parks, and waterways. Public health concerns are escalating, particularly as restaurants struggle without a viable waste solution during the peak of their busy season.”
Originally Published:
Boston, MA
Texas A&M SS Boston Kellner suffers orbital bone fracture
(KBTX) – Texas A&M shortstop Boston Kellner suffered a fractured orbital bone after he was hit in the face with a fastball in Friday night’s series opener at Ole Miss, according to a team spokesperson.
He did not sustain a concussion, and there was no damage to his eye, a team spokesperson said.
The extent of the injury was first reported on the SEC Network+ broadcast.
The true freshman has been a starter for the Aggies since the beginning of the season, slashing .248/.432/.418. He has five home runs and 27 RBIs, typically batting at the bottom of the order. Defensively, he has a .928 fielding percentage.
Ben Royo entered in his place and was a key contributor early Saturday. The senior blasted a pair of home runs against Ole Miss on his first two hits of the season. He entered Saturday’s first game with four at-bats this season.
A&M has struggled with injuries as of late. Chris Hacopian, who also could have been an option to fill in at shortstop, has been relegated to the designated-hitter role as he recovers from a leg injury suffered during the Florida series. Third baseman Nico Partida remains out with a pulled hamstring he sustained against Auburn.
Copyright 2026 KBTX. All rights reserved.
Boston, MA
What we know about wrong-way driver killed in head-on collision with state trooper in Lynnfield – The Boston Globe
Court records show that Marrero was the father of three children, the oldest of whom is 17. The youngest two children, twins, are 13 years old; Marrero’s death came days before their 14th birthday.
Records in Middlesex Probate and Family Court also suggest that Marrero faced financial difficulties and personal troubles, stemming in part from a work injury that family members said caused a bout of depression and deteriorating behavior in his personal life.
For nearly a decade, Marrero worked at Dewberry, a Boston engineering consulting firm, court records show, obtaining a job as an architectural design apprentice in 2005. He left the company in 2014, according to a company spokesperson.
Throughout that time, he doubled as a bartender on the side, working at Mexican restaurants in Boston and Waltham, court records show.
A knee injury ended Marrero’s career at Dewberry, court records show, and he left the company shortly thereafter.
That injury, according to court documents, was the catalyst for what his wife described as a “major depressive episode,” which she said contributed to the strain in their marriage. The couple, who had been married for more than 20 years, separated in 2022.
Records also show that Marrero struggled with debts to family members and credit card companies. During his divorce proceedings, it was unclear how much money he was taking home in income.
Marrero briefly owned and operated a contracting business, 109 Construction, but the corporation was administratively dissolved in 2024, according to state filings.
Marrero had lived in US since at least 2001, holding legal status. He became a naturalized citizen in March 2021, court records show.
Social media posts suggest he was active in the tight-knit Venezuelan community in Massachusetts. Photos show him cheering on Venezuela at a World Baseball Classic watch party in Brighton earlier this year.
Court records appear to show Marrero’s interest in art and music, owning a Venezuelan guitar, conga drums, and several Venezuelan paintings, as well as homemade winemaking setup.
Marrero’s family could not be reached for comment. A close friend reached by the Globe declined to comment.
Trainor had just completed his shift at about 2 a.m. on Wednesday and was driving home when he responded to a report for a Jeep traveling south in the northbound lanes of Route 1, near the Lynnfield overpass.
Raised in Salem, Trainor began his public safety career as an Essex County correction officer before graduating from the State Police academy in 2023, State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble said.
Trainor’s fiancée, Jessica D. Ostrowski, of Georgetown, posted an emotional message to social media Thursday, describing the late trooper as “my absolute best friend.”
“I am beyond proud for the amount of love you have been given by those who loved and cared about you,” she wrote.
Travis Andersen and Jeremiah Manion of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Material from previous Globe coverage was used.
Camilo Fonseca can be reached at camilo.fonseca@globe.com. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports.
Boston, MA
Funding scandal-hit Croft schools in Boston to close this summer after all
Administrators at the Croft School, struggling after allegations of financial fraud, haven’t been able to find a buyer for its Boston locations, which will now close at the end of the school year, parents were told Friday.
Millions of dollars were raised by families and community members to keep the private school open for a few more months while Croft School administrators scrambled to find a buyer. But in Friday’s email, the chief restructuring officer and independent sale advisor said that two parties expressed interest but they ultimately had to pivot toward winding operations down.
“To be clear, the 2025-2026 school year will be completed based on the availability of parent funding. However, without a viable timetable for a transaction, we are faced with this difficult decision,” the email said.
About 350 students had attended the Croft School’s three campuses, two in Boston and one in Providence. Regular tuition starts at $31,000, according to the website.
Millions were raised to keep the private school open for a few more months but the Croft School is looking for a buyer as a long-term fix to its financial problems.
More than 60 families unenrolled from the South End campus over the weekend, the email said.
News of the debt crisis surprised parents in March, when the school’s board revealed in a letter that founding Executive Director Scott Given admitted to fabricating a letter of credit regarding a possible expansion and keeping two sets of books, overstating the school’s revenue while understating its expenses.
The discovery that the school was more than $13 million in debt came after police were alerted to possible fraud. The school has said it’s cooperating with multiple investigations involving Given, who has been suspended.
The private school, with two locations in Boston and one in Providence, requires $5 million to stay open for the rest of the schoolyear.
Given has been sued by at least one Boston parent, accusing him of running a Ponzi scheme. His legal team has said he has no comment.
Parents rallied to save the school, raising enough funds to keep classes going.
The officials in charge of the sale noted “how hard many of you worked to maintain The Croft School as you know it,” but added that the “difficult circumstances, uncertain financials and condensed timeframe made this a trying environment for purchasers to timely make a binding offer for the schools.”
-
Mississippi2 minutes agoRyan McPherson injury update, Mississippi State star hurts ankle, exits Auburn game
-
Missouri8 minutes ago
Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for May 9, 2026
-
Montana14 minutes agoMontana Vista residents question impacts of proposed Pecos West energy project
-
Nebraska20 minutes ago
Nebraska Lottery results: See winning numbers for Powerball, Pick 3 on May 9, 2026
-
Nevada26 minutes ago“We lost a true champion”: Educators, lawmakers remember Joyce Woodhause’s legacy after her death
-
New Hampshire32 minutes agoFAA Employee Accused Of Threatening Trump | Teen Reported Missing | Summer Forecast | More: Nearby News NH
-
New Jersey38 minutes agoDid anyone win Powerball? Winning numbers for May 9, 2026
-
New Mexico44 minutes agoNew Mexico lawmakers, leaders respond to federal lawsuit