Orange County officials filed a 106-page complaint with the state Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) detailing disruptions at county landfills during a recent Teamsters Union strike involving over 400 workers. This filing presented a different picture than initial public statements from county representatives regarding the strike's impact on waste disposal services across Orange County.
When the strike commenced, county officials had downplayed its effects on public services, including landfills. On October 14, an OC Waste & Recycling spokeswoman stated that all three landfill locations—Olinda Alpha in Brea, Frank R. Bowerman in Irvine, and Prima Deshecha in San Juan Capistrano—remained open and continued to accept commercial and residential waste. She noted that wait times had fluctuated but emphasized ongoing efforts to keep services accessible.
However, observations on the ground and subsequent clarifications challenged these initial statements. A "No Public Access" sign was observed at the Prima Deshecha Landfill, with a worker indicating it was closed to the public. Later, Francine Bangert, Public Communication Manager for OC Waste and Recycling, clarified that Prima Deshecha Landfill had been closed to self-haulers and the general public on October 13 and October 14. Additionally, Olinda Alpha Landfill subsequently closed to self-haulers and the general public around 11 a.m. on a later date.
The county's formal PERB filing, submitted approximately a week after the strike began, stated that union members had "created havoc" at the landfills. The filing accused picketers of "repeatedly, from October 13 through October 17," obstructing access to county landfills by "physically blocking ingress to and egress," thereby impeding employees and the public. The county asserted that these actions significantly reduced trash deliveries by approximately 75% at one landfill.
Specifically, county leaders claimed that the Bowerman Landfill in Irvine, which typically processes around 8,000 tons of trash daily, received less than 2,100 tons on four consecutive days due to the strike. David Tieu, a Deputy Director in OC Waste and Recycling’s Central Region and an OCWR Executive Management Team member, provided a statement to PERB expressing concerns about ongoing impacts. Tieu noted that non-Teamsters staff were compelled to work overtime at the landfills, and many haulers were redirecting trash to facilities outside the county. He warned that staff fatigue could lead to potential injuries and necessitate the closure of landfills if staffing levels became insufficient to maintain operations.
The strike was paused, and OC Supervisors were scheduled to meet in closed session to discuss a Teamsters Union contract. Despite direct inquiries from the press at the time, the extent of these operational challenges and closures was not publicly disclosed in real-time, according to the records.
