Union pickets Republic Services' Carlisle Twp. facility over PPE, hours

CARLISLE TWP. — Unionized Republic Services workers picked up signs on Friday to protest what they said is a lack of protection for workers at the company's facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Outside 40195 Butternut Ridge Road on Friday, the drivers of blue Republic Services trucks and multiple cars honked in support of seven union members who stood outside the gates of the facility, the largest in the state of Ohio and home base for 217 drivers and 32 mechanics on three shifts, a union official said. Mark Schmiehausen, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 20, was one of the seven men at the gate. Wearing a black face mask emblazoned with a union logo, he carried a sign that read "Workers Need Protection." He and the six other men were part of a nationwide day of action and informational pickets, he said, to demand Republic provide personal protective equipment and improve workplace conditions. "They need to step up and do the right thing," Schmiehausen said. A multi-billion-dollar, publicly traded company based in Phoenix, Arizona, Republic is the second-largest trash hauler in the United States. Thousands of its unionized workers were picketing for their own health and safety, Schmiehausen said. The drivers haul residential and industrial trash and recyclables, and no hazardous materials, but Schmiehausen said they are essential during the pandemic and wary that some people might be throwing out trash with the virus still living on it. "Everyone has touched it," he said of the trash. Sanitation workers do a dangerous job, he said, and Republic should work to protect them. All 5,700 union members were provided the same black mask Schmiehausen and his fellow picketers had on, but he said Republic needs to provide them additional protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic. That includes puncture proof gloves, face masks, protective eyewear and face shields, the teamsters said. Some workers also have been moved to 30-hour per week work schedules during the pandemic and rotating schedules. Workers also should be paid for 40-hour work weeks as they remain essential to their communities, the teamsters demanded. More demands were listed in a March 16 letter sent to the top four waste hauling companies in the United States, with Republic Services the only company failing to respond to the union requests, according to the teamsters. The letter also called for paid sick leave and compensation benefits if workers were infected with the coronavirus on the job. Republic Services released a statement Friday regarding the pickets, saying its "top priority is the health and safety of our employees, and that is at the forefront of every decision we make." "We are continuing to take enhanced measures to help ensure the well-being of our employees and communities in addition to closely following guidance from the CDC, state and local public health agencies," the company wrote. "We are also continuing to work closely with public health experts and other advisors and will continue to adhere to OSHA guidelines regarding the safe handling of waste and recycling." Employees have been given instructions on personal hygiene protocols and provided PPE for their roles, the company said. An "enhanced cleaning schedule," with multiple cleanings per day, has been undertaken and deep cleaning and disinfecting of facilities, trucks and heavy equipment is being done if any exposure to COVID-19 is possible. "In March, we made extensive changes at all of our facilities to help ensure proper social distancing for all our employees. This includes adjusting our procedures to limit the number of employees interacting with each other when they crew in and out at the beginning and end of the day. We also have provided masks for all of our field employees to use on a voluntary basis, or as directed by local mandates," the company wrote. Employees or those with family members who have been diagnosed with the coronavirus are receiving an additional 10 days of paid time off to cope with the illness and care for themselves or their families, the company said, in addition to regular paid time off. "We want our employees to know that they don't have to worry about being paid or how they would care for a sick family member if a loved one were to become ill," the company wrote. "Furthermore, we have revised our medical plans to cover COVID related out of pocket costs and are allowing our employees to enroll family members in our benefit plans due to job losses." The company has taken other steps, announcing last month it was moving its May 8 annual shareholder meeting online "due to the public health and travel concerns related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak." Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com. Follow him at @daveobrienCT on Twitter.