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: July 12, 2025 at 5:50 PM EDT