CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) – After a strike that lasted a few weeks, Republic Services sanitation workers returned to work Tuesday morning and many residents could not be happier.
ABC 10News was outside of Republic Services’ Chula Vista office early Tuesday morning as garbage trucks departed one by one. Many of the drivers waved as they took off on their route.
Meanwhile, residents like Claudia Mustur couldn’t hold back the excitement when she heard employees had come to an agreement with Republic Services, ending the lengthy strike and allowing for trash pickup to resume in Chula Vista and other parts of the city of San Diego.
“It's difficult because I also run my business out of my garage. And I have greenery, so I have to put greenery and flowers separate because the black trash was getting super big,” Mustur said.
Mustur owns a florist company out of her garage, which is where she had to keep her empty boxes. For the last few weeks, she’s had to try and minimize what she puts in the garbage bins, as she saw piles of trash growing all over her neighborhood.
She added, "We used to bring boxes from Costco from other stores … but no boxes anymore!"
Now that the strike is over, Mustur said she’s looking forward to things going back to normal, though she has learned that patience will be key.
With pickup service resuming in neighborhoods and at businesses, the City of Chula Vista has provided contact information for those at “multi-family units” to report any issues with overflowing trash.
According to the city, only apartments and condominiums where trash is overflowing around dumpsters qualify.
Additional information from the city: “Property managers are to provide their name, telephone number and the location address by calling (619) 409-5977 or emailing trashservices@chulavistaca.gov. City staff or contractors will be dispatched to assist in clean up of the area as soon as possible.
City Manager Maria V. Kachadoorian said, “We appreciate our City employees from Public Works, Environmental Services and Park Rangers who have gone above and beyond to help keep our City clean since the Local Emergency was declared. Their efforts will continue through the end of the week to streamline Republic Services’ return to normal operations.”
Anyone who wishes to report trash overflow at a residential or commercial property is asked to call Republic Services directly at 619-421-9400.
