Republic Services employees agree to new contract after walkout

Republic Services of Atlanta announced a new agreement with some employees of its Atlanta South location on Aug. 25. The five-year agreement was ratified in a vote by participating employees.

The news comes less than two weeks after workers walked out on the job due to a labor dispute. According to a release issued by the Teamsters prior to the walkout, Republic broke federal law when it took work away from the company’s full-time mechanics and outsourced it to subcontractors.

Republic said in a release that it respects the rights of employees to engage in collective bargaining. Employees at Republic's Atlanta South location who participated in the Teamsters-led, one-day work stoppage were welcomed back to work the following day without consequences.

"We're pleased that contract negotiations have been resolved amicably," Scott Sterner, general manager of Phoenix-based Republic Services, says. "We believe that our people make everything possible, and we take pride in making Republic a great place to work.

"We're working hard to be Atlanta's preferred recycling and waste services partner. On behalf of everyone on our team, I want to thank our customers for their patience and understanding during the negotiations process. We're pleased to put to rest any uncertainty about service or our operations."