CAMDEN, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — About 130 sanitation workers are on strike as of Wednesday morning, some forming a picket line outside the Waste Management facility in Camden before dawn.
The drivers, mechanics, welders and other workers, as part of the Teamsters Local 115 labor union, cite “unfair labor practices” and say they’re prepared to stay on strike for as long as they have to.
Waste Management, in a statement, said it has been in negotiations with the union since October, and it is disappointed they decided to strike.
Strikers told KYW Newsradio they need higher pay, while others called out the work conditions. They worked through the pandemic and lost some people to COVID-19, but they say they haven’t gotten the respect they feel they deserve.
Waste Management has residential collections in Camden, Winslow Township and Haddonfield, along with private businesses. The company said it has a plan in place so that trash and recycling can be picked up with minimal disruption.
A bus of other workers pulled into the Camden facility Wednesday morning to the dismay of picketers, unhappy that others would be taking their jobs in the interim.
Soon after, trash trucks were deployed, but strikers blocked the exit so their replacements would be delayed.
Related
