Nicholas and Oouisie Jones are right to be outraged over the extraordinary increases to their garbage rates. But blaming our new garbage company, Recology, misses the mark.
The rate increases are to pay off costs incurred by the previous contractor, Allied Waste. Much of the increase will be used to cover the very generous labor contracts that Allied negotiated with the Teamsters Union. Unfortunately, Recology inherited these contracts, meaning that we will be paying for these contracts for the next four years.
The good news is that Recology’s operation is much more efficient than Allied’s. More of our waste stream is being diverted from the landfill using less labor. And once the current labor contracts expire, sweetheart labor deals will be a thing of the past. Until then, we have little choice but to pay for Allied and the Teamster’s cost increases.
Heyward Robinson, former Mayor, City of Menlo Park
Redwood City attorney sues ‘First Amendment auditors’ after Menlo Park disputeApril 2, 2026 11:31 am
