City strikes deal with new temp agency for trash collection
The city’s Solid Waste division will get some new temporary help to collect trash.
Patricia Weisenfelder, a spokeswoman for Solid Waste, confirmed that workers from People Ready, an agency in Columbia, would be sending help on Thursday morning. Weisenfelder said she did not know how many workers would arrive, but that they would help collect bags of trash and recycling.
The department had to delay collection of recycling last week due to a shortage of workers. ABC 17 News Investigates discovered that Express Employment Professionals ended its contract with the city last Thursday over the high cost of employees getting hurt on the job.
Steve Sapp, director of the city’s community relations department, said the city asked for six workers to help Solid Waste on Thursday morning. Sapp said the city would run eight trash trucks and “several” recycling trucks on Thursday, as long as the six temporary and full slate of full-time workers arrive.
Cedric Ganaway, manager of the local People Ready branch, confirmed that it would send temporary workers to Solid Waste Thursday morning, but declined to comment further on the agreement.
The city previously paid temp workers from Express Pros $13.20 an hour to work as trash collectors. Emails ABC 17 News obtained showed that after racking up $200,000 in medical costs for injured workers on the job, the company ended its supply of temp workers for Solid Waste.
Weisenfelder did not know late on Wednesday what the pay rate would be for People Ready workers.
Sapp said trash pickup will still be their first priority on Thursday, and said recycling would be picked up within 48 hours if it’s not taken that day.
