Despite the possibility of a garbage strike by Thursday, the city wants you to go ahead and put out your trash, recycling and yard waste as usual.
In a release Tuesday afternoon, Seattle Public Utilities asked customers to observe their regular pickup days. If there’s no pickup, leave it out an extra day, e-mailed Andy Ryan, media relations coordinator for the utility department. If it’s still not collected that next day, put it out the following week on your regular day.
The dispute is between Teamsters Local 174 and Waste Management, the company that provides pickup service for about half of Seattle, but not for most of Maple Leaf. A map of Waste Management’s service area is here.
Over the weekend the drivers voted to authorize a strike if they don’t have a new contract by Thursday. The current contract expires at midnight Wednesday.
The city’s contract with Waste Management requires continuation of services, and the company has announced it is lining up replacement drivers.
If you’re wondering what to expect if the union does strike, the Seattle Times has a write-up about how it could affect you.
