Striking members of the Teamsters Local 25 union on Sunday voted overwhelmingly to continue their work stoppage as negotiations with waste management giant Republic Services stand at an impasse.

The union’s members, according to president Tom Mari, are holding strong in their demands for better pay and benefits while the sanitation company allegedly refuses to meet.

“Republic has refused to meet with us for more than 15 days and is disrespecting all of you because they refuse to bring your wages and benefits up to the standards that we established with Capitol and Star,” the union boss told his members ahead of their landslide vote.

Sunday’s 93% vote in favor of continuing the strike shows union support for the nearly six-week old walkout has actually grown since the original vote, the union president said.

“Maybe now the company will realize that it’s not just the negotiating committee making these proposals for better wages and more comprehensive health insurance. The vote this morning of overwhelming support to continue the strike will be heard in Phoenix,” Mari said.

The last bargaining meeting between union officials and the Arizona-based company was held in the presence of a federal mediator on July 18 and ended with no progress made. Neither Republic nor the Teamsters indicated there is a further meeting scheduled.

What’s at Stake

The union was in the midst of negotiations when their last contract expired on June 30, and have been striking for more than a month while calling for pay that’s on par with other local Teamsters’ contracts at Capitol Waste Services and Star Waste Systems.

While neither side has divulged precisely how much union workers are paid, Republic Services says that many of their greater-Boston area drivers are already making “in excess” of six-figures annually.

During negotiations, the company offered the union an immediate pay increase of 16%, with 43% pay raises to accrue over the next five years. The union rejected that offer, saying that it still left them “a few dollars” short of other contracts.

According to figures provided by Republic Services, those raises would have left Boston-area drivers making about $140,000 per year by the end of the five year contract.

Who covers health care

The fight over pay is happening alongside a disagreement on who should provide healthcare to union members.

Republic Services says that its plan is premium-free and that the company’s about 450 union employees receive excellent services.

The union claims that their health plan is more comprehensive and that it covers things the company currently does not, such as a “dental plan along with Teamster owned and operated dental clinics, life insurance, short term disability insurance, hearing aids and retiree health insurance.”

Those issues surround insurance, and who provides it, remain in dispute at the negotiating table.

Fighting it out in the courts

The company has sued the union while alleging they have violated the law and are harassing non-union staff brought in to fill the shoes of striking workers. Late last week, U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy denied for a second time a request from Republic for a restraining order and injunction, even as they alleged that the criminal behavior has continued.

They’ve accused union members of slashing company truck tires, blocking their trucks from collecting trash and entering transfer stations, auto theft, intimidation, and racist and homophobic harassment. The union has denied those allegations, and Judge Murphy did not see “compelling change in circumstances such as to warrant reconsideration of the Court’s prior Order” denying an injunction.

At the same time, several of the towns impacted by the strike — Beverly, Canton, Danvers, Gloucester, Malden and Peabody — sued Republic Services in an attempt to force them to provide the services they are contracted to provide. Last week Essex Superior Court Judge Kathleen McCarthy-Neyman denied the request.

“The court cannot resolve the labor dispute between Republic and the Teamsters,” the judge wrote.

Republic said in a note to customers last Thursday that it is trying to fulfill its contracts, but that the Teamsters’ extra-legal activities are making that impossible.

“Although we currently have the ability to service all customers in Greater Boston, Local 25’s illegal conduct is preventing this from occurring. The union continues its unlawful blocking of our trucks,” they told their customers.

According to Republic Services’ operations leader in Greater Boston, Jake Anderson, the company has about 90% of their 180 routes covered by non-union workers.

“Operationally we have the ability to service 100% of our Boston customers, but the union has been and continues to actively block our trucks,” he told the Herald last week.

Where the politicians stand

One thing is for certain, regardless of what is keeping the union workers off the job, nearly all of the region’s major political players seem to think the strike needs to be brought to an end and that the company should give the union what they are demanding.

The state’s full congressional delegation, Gov. Maura Healey, the Secretary of State, the state treasurer and auditor, the Mayor of Boston, members of its city council, and the leaders from affected cities and towns have all written letters to Republic Services President Jon Vander Ark urging his company to negotiate in good faith with the union and get those employees back to work.

In the meantime, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu indicated that, as the strike continues, her city’s code enforcement staff will be forwarding civil violations for failure to dispose of growing piles of trash to Republic Services directly.

Trash overflows a dumpster in Allston. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)