Looks like that first short garbage strike was the last one. Our regional-news partners at the Seattle Times report there’s a tentative settlement in the contract dispute between Waste Management – which handles solid waste for our area among many others – and Teamsters Local 174. No details of the deal yet, but Local 174’s members will vote on it Sunday.

4:41 PM: The Waste Management truck drivers who went on strike yesterday are reported to be offering to return – here’s the latest from our regional-news partners at the Seattle Times. That’s led Seattle Public Utilities to issue this update:

Based on reports that striking Teamsters will return to work, Seattle Public Utilities is advising its Friday customers to put out their garbage, yard waste and recycling before 7 tomorrow morning.

Customers whose collections were missed due to the strike on Wednesday and Thursday may set out up to twice their garbage, yard waste and recycling on their next regular collection day, at no additional cost. Missed recycling should be set out on customers’ next recycling day, which would be in two weeks.

SPU will provide updates as needed. Customers with solid waste service problems may call the Call Center at (206) 684-3000.

6:12 PM: The Times story is updated now, and Waste Management is saying it welcomes the workers back. In addition, the two sides will resume talks on Monday.

Though West Seattle’s next major wave of potential effects won’t hit until Monday (after some missed pickups here yesterday), if you’re keeping track, the city followed up last night’s “Thursday pickups, put your trash out” advisory with a “no Thursday pickups after all” advisory this morning. Waste Management is also keeping day-by-day updates on its website – no trash or recyclables today, but they advise customers they can put out up to twice the normal amount on their next pickup day. They have said they intend to bring in replacement drivers, but a WM spokesperson told the Seattle Times (WSB partner) that their contingency plan would take a few days to be up and running. No word so far of any new negotiations.

(Picketers at WM on W. Marginal Way; photo by DEAN RUTZ/used with permission of the Seattle Times)
FIRST REPORT, 11:26 AM: From our citywide-news partners at the Seattle Times: The truck drivers of Waste Management are now on strike. West Seattle is among the areas they serve. WM had said they will work to keep regular service, with strike-replacement workers. More details as we get them. 11:46 AM: No official statements yet from Waste Management or Seattle Public Utilities – we are off to a story interview with an SPU rep on an unrelated topic so will be looking for an update. 11:55 AM: SPU has just sent this news release – some West Seattle customers may have missed pickups today:

Following a strike by Teamsters Local 174 garbage and yard waste drivers, some Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) customers will not have their garbage and yard waste collected today in northwest and south Seattle.

Those customers whose collections are missed today are asked to put all of their garbage and yard waste out next week on their regular collection day.

The City’s recycling services are covered by a different contract, and should not be affected by the strike. All customers are asked to keep their recycling out.

Approximately 18,000 residential customers could be affected by the strike action today in the following approximate areas:

– N. 105th St to N. 85th St, W. of SR-99
– Delridge Way SW to Beacon Ave. S, from S. Royal Brougham to SW Roxbury St.

View a detailed map of the affected area.

Members of Teamsters Local 174 went on strike after contract negotiations with Waste Management reached an impasse.

Waste Management’s collection contract with Seattle covers only about half of the city’s solid waste customers, in portions of northwest and south Seattle. Drivers in other areas of Seattle are covered by separate labor agreements and are not part of the current negotiations. Customers in those areas should continue to put all of their garbage and yardwaste out on their regular collection day.

“The City of Seattle is not part of the negotiations between Waste Management and the Teamsters; however, we are disappointed that the two parties were not able to reach an agreement and hope they continue good faith negotiations toward a speedy and successful outcome,” Seattle Public Utilities Acting Director Ray Hoffman said.

“Service delivery and the protection of public health and safety are the city’s top priority and we expect Waste Management to honor its collection contract, regardless of its dispute with the Teamsters,” Hoffman said.

SPU will provide updates as needed. Customers with solid waste service problems may call the Call Center at (206) 684-3000.

5:04 PM UPDATE: There’s a little more city-produced info on the seattle.gov home page – note the FAQ, which addresses the question about whether you can take trash to a Transfer Station for free (for now, it says “no”). Also, a news release from the Seattle Mayor’s Office has elected officials’ take on the situation, including word that the County Executive Dow Constantine and Mayor Mike McGinn have sent a joint letter – read on:Read More

(Scroll down for updates)

(Admiral/California cameraphone photo added 6:53 am)
FIRST REPORT, 5:57 AM: Thanks to those who’ve called, tweeted and Facebooked with the tip – there’s a power outage affecting 2700 customers (homes/businesses) in north West Seattle – City Light says it stretches from 25th SW to 44th SW, Alki Ave to SW Juneau. They don’t yet know the cause (though via Twitter, @macjustice says he heard a transformer blow, and @mcneight mentions “blue flashes in the distance”). We’re on the road checking the extent and looking to see which major intersections are affected.

6:15 AM UPDATE: On California SW, the southernmost intersection without power is at SW Lander (by Lafayette Elementary). California/Admiral is out. Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor) appears to have emergency lighting only.

6:23 AM: Part of eastern Harbor/Alki Avenue is out too – to about the 1100 block on the west. And the Avalon/Harbor/West Seattle Bridge intersection is out, as is the Luna Park business district till SW Genesee on the SE.

6:46 AM: In the North Delridge area, Allstar Fitness is out – but just to the east, power is ON along Delridge itself, so people going to The Bridge that way won’t be affected. We’re checking next on schools in the outage area – so far, Lafayette DOES appear to have power. A commenter says Pathfinder K-8 on Pigeon Point is out. At Admiral/California, SDOT has put up temporary stop signs (see top photo).

6:54 AM: Commenters are saying power has just come back on, at least in some areas. Let us know if you’re NOT back on. (Note: Areas restored include Harbor Ave, Luna Park/North Delridge.)

7:17 AM: The Admiral District is still out.

7:29 AM: We are at Pathfinder K-8 School on Pigeon Point (former Cooper building) and the power’s out there; the principal’s on the phone trying to sort things out. They’re just telling parents as they arrive. That’s the ONLY school affected that we know of (in comments, Connie from Lafayette reaffirms they have power and are open). Photo of Pathfinder staff waiting to notify parents as they arrive:

8:02 AM: At Pathfinder, buses are arriving and those kids are being kept in the cafeteria for starters, we’re told.

The school’s phone system is not working, so you can’t call. Again, they ask that if you haven’t left yet and if you can keep your child at home, please do. Meantime, City Light has sent its first Twitter update on the outage, saying 1,447 customers still affected (each individual home, business, institution is one customer).

8:26 AM: Just talked to City Light’s media rep. They believe the outage was the fault of a branch into wires at 42nd/Hill, though it took a while to trace. They hope to fix it shortly – then breakers have to be tripped manually, so apparently everyone won’t be on instantly.

8:53 AM: No new reports of restoration, though areas beyond the outage (including ours) had a flicker a short time ago.

9:01 AM: City Light just tweeted that the power’s all back. Let us know if you’re still out.

9:52 AM: City Light’s official everyone’s-back news release confirms what rep told us at 8:26 (see above) – branch at 42nd/Hill gets the blame for hitting wires.

Just got word from Seattle City Councilmember Bruce Harrell‘s office that they’re inviting people to join on a special walking tour tomorrow night in West Seattle – covering two blocks that have the new LED street lights intended for installation citywide. The tour actually starts outside West Seattle, at Lighting Design Lab tomorrow at 7 pm, where the new lights will be demonstrated and discussed; then vans will shuttle participants to the West Seattle tour site – the lab’s at 2915 4th Avenue South (map). The tour blocks are 53rd and 54th SW, between Charlestown and Dakota (map). The city will replace all 40,000 street lights with LEDs over the next five years, and expects to save more than $2 million energy costs a year when they’re all in place. If you’re interested in joining the tour, here’s the official advisory.

Attention has turned to the two future pump-station-overflow projects in south West Seattle over the past few weeks (Fauntleroy/Barton coverage here, Murray/Lowman coverage here), but it should be noted that work at the 53rd Avenue Pump Station expansion on Alki is still not all done – specifically, the street-restoration work. Martha Tuttle from King County Wastewater Treatment Division sent this update today:

King County continues to make progress on the 53rd Avenue Pump Station restoration activities. Crews recently completed sidewalks and curbs on the south side of Alki Avenue SW from 53rd Avenue SW to just beyond 54th Place SW.

Weather permitting, final paving of the roadway through this area will be completed over the next couple of weeks. In order to schedule this work, three days of clear weather must be forecasted. Neighbors and visitors should anticipate continued traffic revisions to complete paving. At times, traffic on Alki Avenue SW may be reduced to one lane. Traffic control and flaggers will be on site to help vehicles through the construction zone. King County thanks pump station neighbors and frequent users of the area for their continued patience.

It’s been 2 years and 2 months since the project began.

10:19 PM UPDATE: Here’s the latest from the Times, saying WM is now advertising for replacement workers.

PREVIOUS REPORT, 4 PM: For the first time, Seattle Public Utilities has sent a news release alluding to the possibility of a solid-waste-pickup strike that would affect West Seattleites and hundreds of thousands of others. They’re not a party to the talks, though; Waste Management is in talks with Teamsters Local 174, whose members’ contract expires Wednesday night. No updates on the union site (though there’s related coverage on the site for Local 117, which represents Allied Waste drivers) nor on the WM site, but the latest update from our citywide-news partners at the Seattle Times says talks are continuing, with the help of a federal mediator; the company has said previously it would arrange for replacement workers if there’s a walkout. Meantime, the city’s news release boils down to “just keep doing what you’re doing” – read on for the full text:Read More

As it looks two decades into the future regarding how to keep customers supplied with power, Seattle City Light has just announced a series of public meetings. One’s in West Seattle, 7 pm April 15th at Southwest Community Center. (Free compact-fluorescent bulb and low-flow showerhead for the first 100 to show up!) The full list, and details on the related process/topic, can be found here.