(Memphis) With piles of trash mounting, frustrations are too.
“They should do their job or I should get my money back,” Brendia Edwards said.
Edwards lives in the Fox Meadows subdivision in Memphis. Her trash hasn’t been picked up in two weeks since sanitation workers with Republic went on strike.
She has had enough.
“Either figure it out and stop striking or get somebody else to do it.
Councilman Harold Collins said he’s received hundreds of emails from upset people. He’s calling for legal action against Republic.
“That means filing some compliant against Republic, fining them everyday for the days they don’t pick up and do service, or even calling the contract into question,” he said.
Collins is also considering a new proposal. He said if city workers in union aren’t allowed to strike, he doesn’t think that outsourced workers should be allowed to.
“I think we need to redo the ordinance that will not allow the city to engage with organizations that allow their employees to strike,” he said.
The union that represents city workers was quick to point out their people can’t strike, and they hope to get the work when Republic’s contract is up in July.
“It’s a little bit, some might say, poetic justice that they outsource it despite out efforts to keep it in house and now they’re dealing with the strike,” Chad Johnson said.
Republic said it is has replacement workers trying to make the rounds, but recognized there are delays.
When we asked Councilman Collins if he thinks Republic will gets in contract renewed, he told us, “I hope not.”
