Waste Management strike leaves some East Windsor recyclables on the curb.
By: William Wichert
EAST WINDSOR Like any other week, township residents put all their recyclables at the curb on Wednesday and waited for the Waste Management truck to pick them up. The next day, however, some residents were still waiting.
Township officials are now working with the garbage company to make sure it picks up the rest of the recyclables that it failed to collect this week after its workers from a local Teamsters union launched a strike on Monday, following six weeks of failed contract negotiations.
"It would appear to us that Waste Management had a truck out here for us yesterday (Wednesday)," said Mayor Janice Mironov. "It (the truck) performed some collections, but certainly it did not carry out the charges under the contract."
The township provides trash collection itself, the mayor said, but Waste Management is under contract to pick up all recyclables in the township every Wednesday. The company made some pickups, but several other residents called the municipal building to report that their own recyclables were still outside, she said.
Mayor Mironov said the township contacted Waste Management on Thursday and requested that it complete the rest of the work. The company then sent a couple of trucks to the township, but she said officials will continue to monitor the pickups.
"If the service does not appear to be properly carried out, we’ll review our options before future collection days to determine (alternative procedures) for our residents," Mayor Mironov said. "We would suggest that people check the township Web site and local access channel after this week for an update."
In the Twin Rivers community, where Waste Management is under contract to pick up trash there four days a week, management has instructed residents to bring their trash to a designated bulk disposal area and to even keep some items, such as bulk trash and newspapers, in their homes until the strike is over. Residents should not leave trash behind their homes or in condominium dumpsters.
Scott Pohl, president of the board of directors for the Twin Rivers Homeowners Association, refused to comment, and Twin Rivers Community Trust Administrator Jennifer Ward was not available for comment.
While the strike by Teamsters Local 701 workers has affected other communities like Hamilton and Washington townships, Hightstown is not involved, because its trash collector is Central Jersey Waste Management, Mayor Bob Patten said.