There’s nothing like a trash strike to keep the holiday pileup intact. In Howard County, some 20,000 residents are being forced to keep the rubbish around a little longer. That’s because employees of one of the county’s five major collectors stopped picking up over a contract dispute.
Using the tagline “We are Not Disposable,” workers for Laurel-based Unity Disposal and Recycling decided to strike after they couldn’t come to terms with the company for a new contract. Negotiator Anthony Taylor told WNEW that one of the chief complaints is that the company keeps adding more houses to drivers’ routes, without increasing pay. In addition to the 20,000 homes in Columbia, Ellicott City and Jessup, the company also provides pickup for about 12,50 homes in Montgomery County. The workers are represented by Laborers’ International Union of North America.
Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman released a statement Monday warning of delays that could last into the week, so it might be a good idea to leave the tree and decorations up a little longer this year.
