Recycling and compost bins around Los Angeles were sitting unemptied Friday, in the third day of a city sanitation worker sickout.
Just under 90 percent of sanitaiton workers turned up for work Friday, a sanitation spokeswoman said. While all of the city's black solid waste bins were collected by Thursday afernoon, some green and blue bins remained full Friday.
"We will completely catch up" by Saturday, said the spokeswoman, Tonya Durrell.
Around 100 of the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation's 500 employees called in sick Thursday, while on Wednesday about 250 failed to show up for work. Diminished crews have been working to pick up trash, with only some of the usual bins being emptied.
A statement of the Bureau of Sanitation's website said: 'Our mission remains to protect public health and the environment. As such, our customers are our top priority, and we have contingencies in place to continue our operations with minimal inconvenience. We appreciate your continued patience."
City management was negotiating with unions including SEIU Local 721, which represents the trash truck drivers. Spokeswoman Coral Itzcalli said the union "is not condoning any action."
Mayor Eric Garcetti criticized the action at a news conference Thursday, saying, "The table is the best place to resolve any grievances that people have, not the streets of Los Angeles."
A spokesman with Garcetti's office said he had no update on labor negotiations at around noon Friday.
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Residents were being asked to leave out their trash bins until they can be collected. All black bins were supposed to be collected, while the aim is to collect blue, green and brown bin contents by Saturday evening.
Frustration was mounting about the progress being made in talks between city officials and the Coalition of L.A. City Unions.
"It would be at least nice to know what was going on," said Studio City resident Ben Bardens, who felt that recycling bins being left out did impact him and others like him.
On Thursday employees authorized the next steps needed to vote for a possible strike.
Tree trimmers and transit officers were also among the workers calling in sick.
