Valued Employees:
Here you will find important information and resources, including documents, articles and important links, to help you make thoughtful decisions regarding union representation. For questions, please email: Unionquestions@republicservices.com
July 2, 2025: Negotiation Update
Today, Republic Services and Teamsters Local 25 met with a Federal mediator. We hoped to get a deal done, but it was clear the Teamsters did not share our willingness to achieve a new contract.
We presented terms which addressed the union’s stated interests and could have resolved the contract dispute. Our terms included competitive overall wage increases for all employees. The union’s proposal could result in an immediate wage reduction for more than one-third of our employees.
The Teamsters refused to meaningfully discuss our terms. We do not believe they are acting in your best interest. Despite what the union may be telling you, we believe the Teamsters are putting their own self-interests ahead of what is best for you.
In addition to the wages being discussed, we offer the best working conditions in the industry. We have a culture of safety, excellent fleet health and other perks like safety bonuses, uniforms, boots and tools. Our culture and working conditions result in low turnover and high engagement. In fact, we have several employees who have left to work for our competitors and quickly decided to return to Republic Services.
We believe two of the union’s proposals benefit the Teamsters much more than they benefit you. First, the Teamsters want you to join their Health & Welfare program, which is very expensive, with little or no additional benefit over the existing plan and which would result in a pay cut for many on prevailing wage. It may also create difficulties when seeking to use these benefits.
Second, the ‘Bring Your Strike to Boston’ proposal, allowing you to be pressured to honor a picket line – and lose pay – in support of work stoppages in other areas of the country. We believe these proposals are in the Teamsters’ best interest, not yours.
Finally, we strongly condemn the reckless behavior driven by the Teamsters, who, for the second consecutive day, harassed our drivers out serving customers, putting both our employees and the public at risk. We’re committed to bargaining a new contract. Safety, however, is non-negotiable for us.
Despite the Teamsters’ actions, we have implemented contingency plans to minimize service disruptions and continue serving our customers.
We remain committed to reaching an agreement that benefits you, our customers and our company – whether or not a strike continues. However, as previously communicated, if there are union proposals that we believe are not in your best interest or the best interest of the company, we cannot agree to them.
Ken Runge & Brian Skehan
June 29, 2025: FAQs on the Prevailing Wage
Over the past few days, we’ve received questions about how the union’s proposal to switch bargaining unit employees from the company’s healthcare plan to the union’s health and welfare (H&W) plan would affect you and your co-workers’ prevailing wage rates. Below are some FAQs on the Massachusetts prevailing wage rate law and examples of how the Union economic proposal would impact prevailing wage rates.
Q. What is the union’s proposal regarding healthcare benefits?
A. The union has proposed to replace the company’s H&W plan with the union’s H&W plan. This proposal requires the company to make payments on behalf of each employee, regardless of whether the employee wants the coverage provided by the Union’s plan.
Q. What is the connection between healthcare benefits and the prevailing wage rate?A. Under Massachusetts law[1], employers deduct payments they make towards H&W benefits from the prevailing wage rate employees receive. This means the deduction from prevailing wage rates will increase and prevailing wage rates will decrease.
Q: Would employees’ prevailing wage rates really decrease if we switched from the company H&W plan to the union’s H&W plan?
A: Yes. Due to the deductions from the prevailing wage rate mentioned above, the union’s proposal to move employees to the union’s H&W plan would result in approximately 100 employees facing a significant pay cut in their hourly rates. In short, whether you want the healthcare benefits under the union’s plan or not, the company will deduct from the prevailing wage the amount it would be required by the CBA to pay in insurance contributions, which could reduce your prevailing wage pay.
Q: What does this all mean?
A: If we accept the union’s proposal, then some of you would receive significantly less hourly pay than you receive now because of how the prevailing wage law works. In fact, if you look at the illustrations we provided in our June 20th communication, you’ll see that some of you would lose over $40,000 in annual pay. This is why we have continued to tell the union that we are not interested in changing to the union’s H&W plan. It is significantly more expensive, offers little or no additional benefits to you – and will negatively affect employees working in prevailing wage towns by potentially decreasing their wages.
[1] G.L. c. 149, §§26 and 27 set out the rules for determining the prevailing wage rates. G.L. c. 149, §26 provides in relevant part: “Payments by employers to health and welfare plans… under collective bargaining agreements… shall be included for the purpose of establishing minimum wage rates.” Page 2 of the guidance from the DLS explains that employers deduct from prevailing wage rates the employer contributions made to health and welfare plans, available at: https://www.mass.gov/doc/massachusetts-prevailing-wage-laws-an-important-guide-for-workers/download
Ken Runge & Brian Skehan
June 28, 2025:
To our Republic Services Employees in the Boston and Peabody Business Units:
I’m writing to update you on collective bargaining negotiations with Teamsters Local 25.
Your leadership team has been bargaining in good faith with the goal of agreeing with the union on a contract that includes fair and competitive pay, benefits, retirement, and working conditions. At the same time, the contract must allow us to retain and grow our business to help ensure long-term job security for all of us.
It is unfortunate that the union has threatened to call a strike. We do not believe that a strike will bring us closer to an agreement and, in fact, only distracts the company and the union from the work that needs to be done at the bargaining table. As you know, our top priority is servicing our customers, and we have a plan in place to service our customers regardless of any work action taken by the union.
I urge you to consider how a strike would affect you and your family. Remember, during a strike the union loses nothing (we encourage you to ask the union’s employees if they will forego their own paychecks during a strike). You and your families, on the other hand, will lose your company pay and the company will stop paying for your H&W if you strike, as it has no obligation to either continue to pay you or continue your benefits when you are out on strike. Further, we fear a strike could cause some of our customers to choose to take their business to our competitors, which could present issues going forward.
We have been asked many questions related to a potential strike and we believe you are entitled to as much information as possible in the event you are asked to make this very difficult decision for you and your family.
Below are some answers to many of the questions that we have heard from employees.
Sincerely,
Ken Runge & Brian Skehan
Can I strike?
Yes, there is nothing prohibiting you from doing so, but you will not be entitled to pay or benefits from the Company if you are striking. That said, the law equally entitles you to continue working during a potential union strike, and we hope you choose to do so.
How does a strike affect my pay?
The Company does not pay employees who go out on strike or who refuse to work. Only employees who come to work will receive a Company paycheck, and in many instances, lost pay from a strike is never recouped.
Can I collect unemployment benefits if I go out on strike?
Probably not. Under Massachusetts law, “no benefits shall be paid to an individual under this chapter for . . . Any week with respect to which . . . his unemployment is due to a stoppage of work which exists because of a labor dispute. . . .” M.G.L. Chapter 151A, Section 25(b).
How does a strike affect my health benefits?
Just as the Company is not required to pay wages to employees during a strike, the Company is also not required to pay for continued health insurance. And, unless the employee pays for the full cost of the health insurance premium, healthcare coverage can be discontinued.
Can permanent replacement workers be hired to fill the jobs of strikers?
If an economic strike is called, the Company typically has the right to hire permanent replacements to fill the jobs of employees who go out on strike. Permanent replacements keep their jobs after the economic strike ends, and the strikers are then only entitled to be placed on a priority recall list and fill any openings that occur for which they are qualified.
What may be the potential Impact of a strike on the business?
The Company has a contingency plan and has plans to run its business in the event of a strike since service disruption to customers has the potential to jeopardize the stability of our business. We have an obligation to the communities we serve to ensure our business is uninterrupted. Strikes can have devastating effects on employees and businesses, but just because employees go out on strike, that does not necessarily mean the Company will agree to the Union’s demands.
If there is a strike, can I continue to work?
Yes, but, if you are a member of the Union and come to work during a strike, you may be subject to a fine by the Union, which could be enforced in court. You can avoid such a fine, though, by resigning your membership from the Union before crossing a picket line. The choice is yours.
Can the union really fine me if I choose to work?
It depends. If you joined the union and are a “union member,” then you are subject to the union’s rules that are found in the union’s bylaws and constitution.
How much will I get paid if I come back to work during a strike?
You will continue to be paid the same amount that you were getting paid before the strike.
Do I get Blue Crew pay and per diem if I work during a strike?
No. You would not be entitled to Blue Crew pay as that is reserved for employees who temporarily leave their jobs to travel to our location to help during the strike. You would not be doing Blue Crew work but instead showing up to work at your home location.
Can I get picked up / dropped off at the hotel where the Blue Crew is staying?
The Company will provide information regarding group transportation to and from a local location to work, if needed, for employees who want to work during the strike.
How are you able to protect my safety if I come back to work?
We have seen Unions make threats during strikes to try and control employees. You should report any threats of violence or violence to the police immediately. You should also report any such threats or violence to your supervisor, and the Company, may, if appropriate, arrange for private security. However, the Company cannot guarantee to protect every employee from all risks at all times.
June 27, 2025: Here is an update on today’s union negotiations. We’re pleased to report that we found agreement on several items including:
We know wages are important to all of you. The Company made significant progress today, including a proposal that would get Drivers over $34.00 immediately, and over $40.00 by the end of the new contract.
We told the union we had more movement to make on wages, unfortunately, however, the union ended today’s session earlier than planned for the second time this week. While we had hoped for more time at the table today, we will remain focused on making progress.
Some of the union’s positions continue to raise concerns such as:
Negotiations will resume Monday. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please reach out to us, your supervisor, or HR.
Sincerely,
Ken Runge & Brian Skehan
June 24, 2025: Here is an update regarding today’s negotiations. We showed up this morning ready to make a proposal to the union. Unfortunately, the union refused to listen to our proposal and abruptly ended negotiations moments after they began. As a result, no progress was made.
Further negotiations are scheduled tomorrow, Friday, and Monday. We hope the union will engage in good faith negotiations on those dates.
Ken Runge & Brian Skehan
Open Letter to Employees – June 20, 2025
To our Republic Services Employees in the Boston and Peabody Business Units:
We would like to keep you informed on the ongoing union negotiations. Our goal remains a fair agreement for both you and the company. While we have made progress, key differences remain. Here are three major issues and how the union’s proposals could affect you:
The company currently provides excellent health and welfare coverage at no premium cost to you or your family. The union wants to replace it with the union’s Health and Welfare plan (H&W), which offers little or no added benefit to you, but is significantly more expensive. If you currently do not carry health insurance under the current CBA, but the company agreed to the union H&W proposal for the next CBA, the company would be required to pay a contribution to the Union H&W plan for you regardless of what you want. This could reduce your wages up to $43,500 per year for anyone working in a residential, prevailing wage (PW) town because PW rates are offset by the amount the Company spends on H&W. Simply put, when H&W costs go up, PW wages go down. (See examples below)
The union is also demanding a clause that would allow them set up picket lines here in the Boston area during the term of this contract, for disputes happening at Republic Services locations elsewhere in the country – – even when there are no issues here. Ask yourself if this union would then pressure you to “honor” some other local’s picket lines by refusing to work here. We don’t believe employees here should lose pay over issues in other cities that concern people they’ve never met.
We value our employees and are always committed to paying fair, competitive wages. The union’s current wage demands would make us less competitive in the market versus our competitors– and as you know, we have already lost some major contracts and been forced to lay off employees. The union’s proposal could lead to us being more uncompetitive in this market, which we fear would lead to further job losses. We are focused on a deal that supports long-term stability and growth for everyone.
We meet again on June 24th, 25th, 27th and 30th. Please reach out to us or Human Resources if you have any questions. We encourage all employees to speak up regarding your concerns as everyone has a voice during this process.
Sincerely,
Ken Runge & Brian Skehan
Potential wage reductions based on change to Union H&W Plan
(Examples are based on an employee with average company benefits and a 53-hour workweek)
Team,
We want to provide you with an update on the status of ongoing union negotiations. We’ve met with the union four times to date, most recently last Tuesday, May 20.
While we have found some areas of agreement, many significant issues are still being discussed. Each of these items deserves careful consideration and discussion. We are committed to thoroughly addressing all of the proposals, so the negotiations are taking time.
We have three additional dates confirmed: June12 and June 24-25. Given the number of open issues, it’s likely that more time will be needed so we are seeking more availability from the union.
Thank you for your ongoing patience and professionalism as we continue this important work. Our goal remains to reach an agreement that is fair, competitive and serves your best interests along with those of the Company and our customers. If you have any questions, please reach out to us or any manager, supervisor, or HR.
Sincerely,
Ken and Brian
April 20, 2025 - Boston Bargaining Update
April 20, 2025 – Boston Bargaining Update
Dear Team,
I’m writing to update you on negotiations with Teamsters Local 25. We held the first bargaining session with the union yesterday, April 29. We reached one tentative agreement and, for the most part, the discussions were cordial. While we have lots of work to do over the next two months, we are committed to the process. We want to reach a new contract that’s fair to you and to the company and that avoids any disruptions to you or impacts to our customers. We are meeting with the union again on May 13 and 14. We look forward to making more progress towards a new contract then.
Sincerely,
Ken Runge & Brian Skehan
The Basic Guide to the National Labor Relations Act (English)
The Basic Guide to the National Labor Relations Act (Spanish)
Check back for future updates.
