Negotiations continue with sanitation workers off the job as trash piles up for Bay Area customers
UNION CITY, Calif. (KGO) -- For nearly a week, trash has piled up outside many homes in more than two dozen cities in the Bay Area.
Since last Tuesday, garbage collectors with Republic Services stopped working across the region.
They say they are standing in solidarity with striking workers in Stockton and Manteca as well as on the East Coast.
Neighbors in Fremont are seeing trash pile up all around them.
"It's already full. This one is full already," said Fremont Resident Krishna Chavda.
MORE: Bay Area official worried about possible public health impacts of Republic Services work stoppage
Alex Reyes got some video of it around his neighborhood.
"Here is my bin. Man, this is full! Man, this is filled to the gill. It's really messed up," said Reyes. "Two doors down we had a neighbor whose garbage that was packed to the rim all the way at the top."
Across the Bay Area, garbage collectors with Republic Services put the brakes on pick-ups to support striking union members in the Central Valley and on the East Coast.
Union members say they want better pay, better health insurance, and a pension.
Residents say they get it, but they say no pick-ups plus hot weather is a bad mix.
"Yeah. The trash starts smelling," said Chavda.
Abdul Nasher, owner of DC Smart in Daly City, thinks it's disgusting that his trash still hasn't been picked up.
"It's disgusting. I hate it. I don't want to keep my garbage here but what can we do. I hope this issue will be resolved as soon as possible."
MORE: Confrontation amid Bay Area sanitation work stoppage as trash piles
His garbage was supposed to be picked up Friday, but still hasn't been.
Nasher's trash bins are so full he can't close them and has had to place some garbage inside.
A few businesses away from his mini mart, the Spicy House restaurant has trash overflowing onto the sidewalk of Mission street.
But there were some lucky businesses at Serramonte Center that got trash picked Monday morning, as what appear to be replacement workers from other areas were brought in to help during the work stoppage.
Before dawn Monday, ABC7 witnessed a confrontation between union members at the Daly City Republic Services location and an apparent replacement worker.
Union leader Gilbert Gomez says even though negotiations are continuing this week, they're not closer to a deal.
"We're trying to get this done, get back to normal, but the company keeps playing games," Gomez said. "They keep saying that they want to do this and they tell the public that they're doing this and trying to get this done but they're not."
In a statement, Republic Services told ABC7 they're working toward an agreement that is beneficial to their employees and customers, saying:
"We expect to resume some residential collection in the coming days and will continue to communicate with customers via text phone messages and emails."
Meanwhile, some cities like Union City, Half Moon Bay and Fremont have placed dumpsters in different locations for residents while the stoppage continues.
Union City officials say they discontinued their drop off sites Monday afternoon.
In Half Moon Bay, a large dumpster behind City Hall is packed with garbage.
"As you can see, there's a whole lot of demand, but not a lot of containers and space." said Public Works director Maziar Bozorginia.
At the Fremont Recycling and Transfer Station, Seraldo Mata dropped off several bags of trash from his home.
"I had five bags," said Mata. "It's a pain in the butt. They have maggots already."
In Daly City, residents can drop off household trash in two areas: 153 Lake Merced BIvd. near the Public Works Corporation Yard and 798 Niantic Ave. The service is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Daly City Councilmember Juslyn Manalo offered this response on this Monday.
"I hope that Republic Services listens to the Stockton workers' needs as soon as possible for the health and wellbeing of cities across the nation is at stake," said Manalo.
Late Monday afternoon, different city leaders said they are seeing more replacement workers in their communities to help withr the work stoppage.
"I have heard updates from residents that work has resumed, but it is very slow. Republic Services needs to speed up work on it," said Union City Councilman Jeff Wang.
