With the Orange County Teamsters’ strike stretching into a third week, county officials are suing to stop the union from blocking landfill operations amid disruptions to waste and recycling services.
In a lawsuit filed Monday in Orange County Superior Court, the county is seeking a temporary restraining order against union members who officials say are obstructing access to the three local landfills.
Since Oct. 13, the county complaint alleges that picketers have repeatedly blocked access to the landfills “by standing, walking, circling, sitting, lying, and linking arms in traveled lanes; surrounding vehicles; controlling which vehicles could pass; and delaying employees, the public, and neutral commercial haulers.”
The county said those strike activities have created safety risks for pedestrians and heavy vehicles, in addition to causing significant delays in residential and commercial trash collection across the county.
“Accumulations of uncollected refuse may create unsanitary conditions, including odors, attraction of rodents and other pests, litter, and other public health concerns,” the filing said. “Timely solid waste collection is therefore essential to protecting public health, safety, and welfare within the communities served by the county landfills.”
Teamsters spokesperson Christian Castro said the union is not deterred by the lawsuit and will continue picketing at landfills until a fair contract is reached. More than 400 workers with OC Public Works, OC Waste & Recycling and OC Community Resources walked off the job Oct. 13 after months of failed contract talks over pay increases.
“This is another desperate attempt by the county to avoid taking responsibility for this labor dispute,” Castro said. “Instead of grasping at straws and pursuing legal action against its own workers, the county should focus on what matters most: delivering a fair contract, ending this strike and getting our members back to work serving Orange County residents.”
County spokesperson Molly Nichelson said officials are not trying to “prohibit a strike, peaceful picketing, or restrict protected speech,” but are instead focused on preventing actions that threaten public safety.
“Continued disruption threatens uncollected refuse at homes, businesses, schools, and public facilities, creating risks of odors, pests, litter, storm-drain contamination, flooding, and other dangers to public health and safety,” she said in a statement.
The Olinda Alpha Landfill in Brea is open for public self-haul disposal, but extensive wait times are expected due to picketing activity. Bulk compost pickup is closed. The Prima Deshecha Landfill in San Juan Capistrano is closed for public disposal and bulk compost pickup. Self-haul disposal at the Bowerman facility in Irvine is open for commercial haulers and contractors only.
Christina Britton, who co-owns the Lake Forest-based Platinum Bucket Junk Removal, said companies like hers usually dump trash at Prima Deschecha. But since the facility suspended public disposal service in mid-October, she’s had to go to a transfer station in Irvine, which costs twice as much, she said.
Britton said she received notice over the weekend that the transfer facility is also full, so now she has a truckload of waste that she doesn’t know how to legally get rid of. She said the only other options are waiting in line for hours at Bowerman or Olinda Alpha — and risk being turned away because she doesn’t have a contractor’s license — or driving to transfer stations in LA or Corona.
“I feel for the strikers, but they need to allow small businesses to take care of their families, too,” Britton said. “We’re really hurting right now and the holidays are coming.”
The Orange County Employees Association, a public-employee labor union that represents 18,000 workers, filed a grievance with the county on Tuesday alleging OCEA members have been forced to “shoulder a substantial and growing number of additional duties” at landfills.
In a letter to the OC Board of Supervisors, OCEA said many union members have had to help with landfill management at the cost of performing other important responsibilities, including “proactive preparations for El Niño.” The union said such “management-level decisions are creating current and potential safety hazards” for county employees and residents.
“County management is directing OCEA members to staff entire county landfills with a fraction of the workforce,” the union said in a Wednesday press release. “County management is placing our members in dangerous situations by relying on inadequately trained contractors, while putting our communities at risk by neglecting the environmental protections necessary for El Niño.”
CR&R Environmental Services, which handles sanitation duties for several OC cities, said on its website that the strike has caused delays to waste and recycling collection services throughout the county.
A host of Orange County cities, including Costa Mesa, Newport and Orange, have notified residents in recent weeks that waste collection may be delayed due to picketing at landfills. Fullerton and Santa Ana informed residents that bulky item pickups have been indefinitely suspended.
County officials have tried to sweeten their offer to the union, but Board of Supervisors Chair Doug Chaffee told CNS this week, they cannot offer more without triggering pay and benefit adjustments for other unions under parity clauses.“If this results in something better — and it would — (the other unions) will get an adjustment up to the same level,” Chaffee said. “If we bring everyone up to the last, best and final offer, it’s millions more it’s costing us. We have to take that into account with the parity clause.”
The county filed a complaint last month with the state’s Public Employment Relations Board seeking an injunction against strike activities near landfills. The labor board denied the county’s request, but the case remains pending.
The Teamsters also filed a complaint with the PERB alleging unfair labor practice against the county, which is also still pending.
Monday, the union said it was considering expanding picket lines to additional county propoerties, including the county-run animal shelter and John Wayne Airport.
City News Service contributed to this report.