Chula Vista leaders will consider on Monday whether to take emergency measures to resume trash collection due to an ongoing, nationwide strike that has disrupted service for thousands of local residents and businesses.
Mayor John McCann said Saturday that Republic managers from Chula Vista and drivers from Imperial Valley and Arizona were doing what they could to collect customers’ trash on Saturday and were set to continue Sunday.
But it’s unclear how long the work stoppage will continue. That’s why McCann said he called for a special meeting of the City Council.
“I’m not going to wait; we need to take action immediately to preserve the health and safety of the community,” he said.
Thousands of Republic Services waste workers from various states have been on strike or honoring the picket line, demanding fair pay and benefits while their union, the Teamsters, and the company work to settle new contracts in Boston.
By Thursday, the work stoppage had expanded into Chula Vista as many workers joined in solidarity. The waste hauler said some workers have expanded their picketing to other company locations, including facilities in the San Diego area.
Teamsters Local 542, which represents Chula Vista-based Republic workers, has not issued a statement on its participation. Meanwhile, Republic, which is Chula Vista’s lone waste hauler, said it was “making adjustments to our operations and working to resume regular service as quickly as possible. Residents are advised to leave their containers out.”
Officials are set to discuss service alternatives, such as allowing residents to drop off their trash at the Otay landfill for free, and potentially declaring a state of emergency so that the city could deploy its own employees to pick up trash.
In early 2022, the city did just that when more than 250 sanitation workers walked off the job in Chula Vista to protest stalled contract negotiations between Republic and the Teamsters. A public health emergency was declared amid reports of vermin issues, the city’s park rangers and public workers employees stepped in to pick up trash and new equipment was bought to collect the trash.
“The disruption to basic services like trash collection is unacceptable,” McCann said in a statement Friday. “Residents deserve a clean and safe environment, and we are taking immediate steps to address the impacts of the strike and support resolution efforts.”
The special meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. at City Hall.
Originally Published: July 12, 2025 at 4:06 PM PDT