The heaps of uncollected trash owing to a garbage workers' lockout are an eyesore for Bay Area residents, but for legions of independent haulers -- the one-man, one-truck operations seen daily on the city's streets -- the lockout has become an economic boom. The boom in the private hauling business is fueled by labor strife between Waste Management, the nation's largest garbage-collection company, and the Teamsters union representing the locked-out workers. The company wants new health and safety regulations that union officials believe will erode union workforce protections. It's doubtful that officials in Oakland or other cities are going to crack down on private haulers now, given the need for help clearing the streets of trash.
See "East Bay garbage lockout stinks for residents but is windfall for any smart guy with a truck", Chip Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, July 19, 2007