RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Several Richmond City refuse workers are back on the job after they went on strike Tuesday morning, demanding a pay increase.
A representative for those on strike said that workers agreed to go back to work in good faith until official negotiations begin on Thursday.
Employees were in and out of meetings Tuesday morning discussing the dispute over pay increases with city officials. The temp workers say that city leaders instructed them to start working or else they’d be escorted off the property by police.
Officials say that somewhere between 61,000 and 62,000 households were impacted by the strike. Recycling was not affected.
Although collections went on throughout the day, the city asks that residents leave their supercans out because trash pick-up will be delayed by one day for some.
A spokesman for the Richmond City sanitation said workers were planning on calling out sick collectively Tuesday. The anonymous employee made the announcement Monday during King Salim Khalfani’s ‘Let’s Get Busy’ radio show.
“We were promised a pay increase that was to appear on our first July checks. It did not happen. I warned my co-workers that a pay increase was not in the budget and it would not happen. It didn’t happen,” the anonymous employee said on the radio show. “We will not be picking up trash on Tuesday!”
He did not indicate how long the protests will take place.
We’re still unsure of what will happen after Thursday’s negotiations. As always, stay with 8News for more on this developing story.
