Avon Lake Demands Refunds After Strike, Republic Will Comply

Avon and Avon Lake customers of Republic Services will be getting a refund.

Avon Lake Councilman Dan Bucci drafted a letter signed by Mayor Greg Zilka and six of the seven council members requesting a refund for the two weeks Republic Services was on strike. The letter was sent to David Kidder, Republic Services spokesman.

Residents in Avon and Avon Lake were reporting trash still had not been picked up one full week after local Republic Services workers went on a second strike in April.

The letter said the “sympathy strike” concerning the ongoing labor dispute in Youngstown between Republic Services and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 377, has caused "great inconvenience" to Avon Lake residents, noting the company failed to execute the contractually-mandated Monday garbage collection on April 1 and April 15.

The company has made efforts, although not entirely successful, to pick up trash in the past week. Residents in Avon and Avon Lake reported trash had still not been collected one week later.

“Despite Republic Services' effort… our residents have not only been inconvenienced, they have paid for a service that was not provided,” the letter said. The city is asking that Republic Services grant every Avon Lake resident full credit for the lack of service on April 1 and April 15, equaling two weeks service.

The group is also asking that credit be given for each week the labor dispute continues and Monday service is missed.

Zilka was initially informed that all of Avon Lake's garbage would be collected by yesterday, April 18, but was then told pickup would not be complete until the weekend. That notification was amended to Monday.

 “This is simply unacceptable,” the letter to Kidder said.    

The letter was signed by Bucci, Jennifer Fenderbosch, David Kos, Larry Meiners, Martin O’Donnell and  John Shondel as well as Mayor Greg Zilka signed the letter. For ethical reasons, Councilman Rob James abstained from voting since the law firm he works for has performed work for Republic Services.

The situation has irked council members.

"We are all frustrated with Mr. Kidder from Republic telling the mayor that the trash would be picked up," Fenderbosch said. "The message went out to public that it would be picked up and then it wasn't."

Bucci has been vocal about Allied's service and noted their contract with Avon Lake expires this year.

"The city was in the process of reviewing our options for trash and recycling collection before the strike," Bucci said. "I will do my best to ensure our next contract ensures we have dependable and cost efficient service."

Kidder said a refund will be coming to all Republic customers.

“They’ll have a credit adjustment of some kind for all residents,” Kidder said. “That amount is yet to be determined We have a lot of things to look at (to determine adjustment).

Kidder said the company will take a few weeks to determine how much will be refunded to Avon and Avon Lake customers.