Garbage collection strike over pay, working conditions continues in parts of Lee County

Reporter: Gail Levy
Published: Updated:
Drivers for Advanced Disposal go on strike.

Garbage workers in Lehigh Acres are fed up. They want shorter routes and higher pay.

It’s a dirty job. And the drivers for Advanced Disposal say the conditions threaten their health and safety.

Anier Fernandez works for Advanced Disposal and says, “Every time, normally, when you get a leaking box, when you dump the box, you get that spillage on you. I mean maggots, oil, there’s a lot of things in garbage.”

This is day two of the strike against the company, which is contracted by Lee County. Their drivers want better working conditions and pay.

“We’re fighting for shorter routes,” Fernandez explained. “We need the routes to get a bit smaller, better pay.”

Lee County Commissioner Frank Mann assured affected customers, “We’re not going to leave trash in the streets.”

Drivers for Advanced Disposal go on strike.

Mann represents the people in Lehigh. He said Advanced Disposal not picking up the garbage is not an option, “We have no reason to think that the Advanced people will not be able to get the job done, they started off two days behind but they’ve got extra personnel and with any luck, it’ll all be up to speed and back to normal routine by Saturday.”

The drivers say people who collect trash on Fort Myers Beach earn more per day than drivers in Lehigh Acres.

However, we received conflicting messages from the striking drivers and management.

Advanced Disposal said in a statement:

This will take some time to negotiate … (we) expect our employees to perform the service for our customers while we work through these issues.

Fernandez said, “The answer they gave us earlier was that if we don’t show up to work tomorrow, just don’t show up.”

And he takes that as meaning he would be fired.

Nonetheless, he plans to strike again Friday.

This garbage strike affects more than 50,000 customers in Lehigh Acres, Buckingham, and other neighborhoods.

The county said if Advanced Disposal has not picked up your trash as scheduled, they will by Saturday.

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