WATERTOWN – As the regional strike by Republic Services workers stretches into its third week, Watertown officials continue to adapt operations to ensure trash and recycling are collected across the city—even as service remains significantly delayed and negotiations between the company and the union remain unresolved.

The strike, launched July 1 by Teamsters Local 25, has disrupted curbside collection in 14 communities across Massachusetts, including Watertown. While Republic had initially told city officials that backup crews would be deployed to prevent service gaps, those crews have been unable to maintain normal pickup schedules.

“Even with the same amount of people they still can’t deliver the same service,” said Watertown City Manager George Proakis in a recent interview with WCA-TV. “They’re not using the trucks with the [mechanical] arms… they’re basically reaching, tossing them in the back of the trucks, which is more work.”

According to Proakis, a full crew to serve Watertown typically includes three trash trucks and two recycling trucks operating five days a week. With replacement crews unfamiliar with city routes—and arriving later than the usual 7 a.m. start time—catch-up has proven difficult.

City officials continue to urge residents to put bins out on their regular pickup day and wait 48 hours before reporting a missed collection via the City’s 311 Service Center, SeeClickFix, or the Watertown MA App.

To help manage overflow and support residents, the City opened a temporary trash and recycling drop-off site at 148 Waltham Street. The site is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Residents may drop off up to three bags of household trash and a similar volume of recyclables and must show proof of Watertown residency.

Proakis noted that operating the drop-off site and hiring supplemental vendors has come at a cost to the City. Watertown has notified Republic that it intends to enforce the liquidated damages clause in its contract.

Nearby communities, including Beverly, Gloucester, and Peabody, have gone a step further—filing a lawsuit in Essex County Superior Court seeking injunctive relief from Republic to address public health issues caused by the service disruption.

In the meantime, Proakis emphasized that Watertown’s focus remains on getting services to residents—regardless of who is collecting the trash.

“We’re not helping Republic here,” he said. “We’re helping the residents of Watertown get services.”

For up-to-date information, FAQs, and service alerts, residents can visit the City’s dedicated page at watertown-ma.gov/republicstrike. The city is also encouraging sign-ups for its free curbside composting program at blackearthcompost.com/watertown, which remains unaffected by the strike.

City Manager Calls for Urgent Action in Letter to Both Sides

As negotiations remain stalled, Proakis is publicly urging both parties to return to the bargaining table. In a letter addressed to Republic Services and Teamsters Local 25, Proakis expressed frustration at what he described as a lack of meaningful dialogue and urgency.

Dear Mr. Higgins (of Republic) and Ms. Quinn (of Teamsters 25),

I am writing to you as the City Manager of Watertown, Massachusetts, where we continue to be impacted by the ongoing Teamsters strike against Republic Services. Republic holds our municipal contract for trash, recycling, and yard waste collection, in addition to servicing many private clients throughout the city. While the City of Watertown is not a party to this labor dispute, I feel compelled to express my deep concern that there appears to be little to no progress toward a resolution.

Until June 30, 2025, we had a productive and positive working relationship with Republic. I signed a contract extension for Watertown based on the strong performance of Republic’s team and the quality of service our residents received. Our day-to-day contact, Shane Reed —a union member—has consistently demonstrated professionalism, responsiveness, and dedication to our community.

Since July 1, however, Republic has been attempting to fulfill its obligations with replacement workers. While we appreciate the efforts, and the regular updates from Republic, the substitute workforce has not been able to consistently meet the standards outlined in our agreement. Despite early promises that we would see no disruption in services, the current staffing and equipment levels are simply not sufficient to match the service levels provided by the regular unionized team. This has created significant costs for Watertown that we intend to pursue from Republic via the liquidated damages clause of our contract. 

I fully understand that labor disputes are a reality and can be complex. I oversee more than 350 unionized employees in Watertown, including many members of Teamsters Local 25, and I value the importance of a respectful and communicative labor-management relationship. That’s precisely why I am so frustrated by what appears to be a lack of regular meaningful dialogue in this case.

On behalf of the residents of Watertown, I need to understand: Why are negotiations not actively taking place more than once every few days? Why were both sides not at the table yesterday or today? The residents of Watertown deserve better. I urge both parties to return to the table immediately, and work in good faith to reach a resolution.

Sincerely,
George Proakis
City Manager, Watertown, MA

For a deeper look at how the City is responding—and what’s being done behind the scenes—watch our full interview with City Manager George Proakis below.

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