Waste Management hiring new drivers

Waste Management says it’s working to boost staffing to prevent missing yard waste collection.

The company, which picks up trash at the curb in Spokane Valley and much of Spokane County, has acknowledged that some routes have been missed in recent weeks.

Gary Chittim, communications manager for Waste Management’s northwest region, said the company has been among those struggling to find employees and is working to hire more. “We are seeing some driver shortage issues that, unfortunately, have delayed collections for some residents,” he said. “We are addressing the issue by taking an aggressive approach to recruiting and training more drivers.”

The company has hired three new yard waste drivers recently and another 10 are expected to start work in the coming weeks, Chittim said. That will put the company above its normal staffing levels. “The driver shortage is part of an unprecedented labor issue affecting businesses and government agencies nationwide,” he said. “The Boone, Bowdish and Pines areas were especially impacted because of new drivers in training.”

Chittim said hiring and training new drivers is Waste Management’s top priority. “We understand the situation is frustrating for our customers, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience,” he said.

Some affected residents, who pay for weekly yard waste pickup, called to request a bill credit for the missed pickups but those requests were not granted. That’s because the yard waste was eventually picked up, Chittim said.

“Credit is not provided for postponed services in most situations,” he said. “As much as we regret having to reschedule service, we will still provide the service at a later date. We will collect and manage the material and incur costs related to the collection and management.”

Chittim said that it actually costs Waste Management more money to skip pickups and then go back to them later.

“Service interruptions are more costly than providing routine services due to operational inefficiencies,” he said.

Waste Management posts information about pickup disruptions at www.wmnorthwest.com.

The company charges yard waste customers $8.32 to $12.22 in Spokane Valley, depending on the size of the cart they choose.