Kamloopsians will have even fewer recycling options as a strike at Emterra Environmental enters its second day on Tuesday.
Emterra workers bale and process Kamloops’ recyclables in Valleyview and ship them off to be sorted elsewhere.
The city suspended curbside recycling services at the start of the strike, directing residents to three depots that contract with Multi Material BC (MMBC).
However, Richard Robertson, chief operating officer at General Grants, said his two depots won’t be taking the bulk of the city’s recycling.
Both the North Shore and Sahali locations were planning to post signs on Tuesday, turning away large volumes of recycling.
Robertson said General Grants will take recyclables from “the little old lady with the little bag,” but will be turning away large loads, which he said he doesn’t have the manpower to deal with or the space to store.
“It is beyond the capability of a small business like us to be able to take that on,” he said. “It is really a bad call by the City of Kamloops.”
While MMBC managing director Allen Langdon KTW it can work around the strike at Emterra (where local depots also have their recyclables processed), Robertson said he doesn’t want to cross the picket line.
Emterra’s 10 unionized workers are on strike on Kelly Douglas Road over what Steelworkers Local 1-417 president Mart Gibbons called “ridiculously low” wages.
“It’s horrible work and we’re well below the poverty line,” he said. “I couldn’t frame it better than a living wage. If we don’t get increases, there’s a real potential that the minimum wage will bypass some of the workers here.”
Gibbons said the workers’ contract with Emterra expired in March and the two sides have not been able to come to the table despite involving a mediator. The union’s last proposal, which Gibbons said would cost Emterra $1,600 a month, was not accepted.
“It’s just absolutely ridiculous the employer wouldn’t come to the table,” he said.
City of Kamloops environmental services manager Glen Farrow said it’s up to MMBC to work with General Grants to keep recycling service open.
“He’s under contract with MMBC, I assume, and being paid accordingly, so those [depots] are legitimate options within our community,” Farrow said.
That argument doesn’t seem to sway Richardson.
“I’m willing to walk away from that contract if I have to,” he said.
With General Grants out of the picture, there’s only the Lorne Street bottle depot on Halston Avenue, where owner Steve Ahn said he will take whatever recycling comes in.
“As a service provider, we cannot refuse the customers coming in,” he said.
However, Ahn said if the strike continues, he may also face a space crunch, since it’s looking like liquor bottles and cans won’t be hauled away from the depots during the strike.
In addition to home service, the city has stopped picking up cardboard from some local businesses and has ceased picking up recyclables from its depots at McGill Road and Ord Road and the Mission Flats and Barnhartvale dumps, which are now blocked off.
Farrow estimates the city picks up 500 metric tonnes of recycling each month.
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