Garbage Piling Up Soon . . . Or Not?

As of this morning, employees of Waste Management of New York are on strike:

Employees of a waste management company that serves about 10,000 commercial accounts in the city from restaurants to office buildings went on strike Monday morning.

The 90 workers are members of Teamsters Local 813, and are employed as drivers and drivers’ helpers for Waste Management of New York, said company spokesman George McGrath. He said the company had arranged for replacement drivers, and that no disruption to service was expected.

. . .

Asked about the strike, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he hoped it wouldn’t last long, and that the city would try to help if needed.

“If Waste Management doesn’t collect the trash with the people they had working for them in the union, or anybody else they hire, then the city will step in and we will declare a health emergency and we will pick up the trash,” Bloomberg said. “We’re not going to let it build up on the streets, and I think we’ll be fine.”

Backstory: It May Get Stanky Around Here Real Soon . . .