Free dump trips for Waste Management customers in Seattle

>>>Service delays from Waste Management

With garbage piling up as a Teamsters truck drivers’
strike
against Waste Management enters its second week, Seattle
will allow residents limited free dumping at transfer
stations.

The solid waste director for Seattle Public Utilities,
Timothy Croll say that people with proof of a city address
can bring up to six bags of garbage or yard waste at a
time
to transfer stations, starting Wednesday.

Dori Monson told
Teamsters Local 117
spokesperson Brenda Wiest
he’s heard of complaints from customers who say they’re
getting yelled at while dropping off garbage at the
dump.

“I will make sure that doesn’t happen anymore,” responded
Wiest.

>>>Listen to Wiest’s
interview

She explained that union members at the transfer stations
are not picketing the dumps. When replacement drivers go
to the transfer station, it’s not safe for picketers
to stay with the truck. So they picket outside of the
gate.

Waste Management says it’s bringing in more drivers in the
next day or two to replace striking union drivers who have
disrupted garbage, yard waste and recycle pickups for more
than 200,000 customers in the Seattle-Everett area.

The union for striking recycle and yard waste trucks
extended picketing Tuesday to a Waste Management facility
in
Burlington.

“I’m sorry that the communities are adversely impacted by
Waste Management’s actions, but we’re trying to get the
company’s attention. We want the company to understand
that the Teamsters stand strong behind our effort,” Wiest
said.

Meanwhile, there seems to be no movement from Waste
Management nor
Teamsters Local 117.

“We don’t believe we’ve completed the bargaining process,”
Wiest said. “We
are simply asking the
employer to come back to the bargaining table and bargain
with us lawfully.”

Waste Management said there is an offer on the table, the
company’s best and final. In includes a $98,000 wage and
benefit package and a four percent raise in year two of
the six-year contract.

“We’d like our drivers to come back,” said Waste
Management spokesperson Robin Freedman. “What we’d really
like is for them to ring up the union leadership and say
‘Hey
guys, there’s a really nice compensation package on the
table for us. Don’t let this pass us by.”

>>>Listen to
Freedman’s
interview

KIRO Radio Editor Dan Restione contributed to this
report.