Bradenton ups pay for trash workers as pickups still limited. Here’s February schedule
Recycling and yard waste pickup are expected to remain on an alternate schedule throughout February, but the city of Bradenton is working to attract more solid waste employees with increased pay.
Starting in July, Bradenton began picking up recycling and yard waste less frequently. Instead of picking up both each week, the Solid Waste Division picks up recycling one week and yard waste the next, because of driver shortages.
Regular trash pickup has been prioritized and will continue to be collected twice a week.
Similar driver shortages are having an impact across the country, said City Administrator Rob Perry, who noted that government entities and private businesses are both struggling to hire and retain licensed truck drivers.
In order to operate a large vehicle such as a garbage truck, employees must receive training and obtain a commercial driver’s license, also known as a CDL. A combination of issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic created an increased demand for CDL drivers, with private sector businesses beginning to offer higher wages.
Bradenton City Council previously approved an incentive program that rewards CDL drivers with up to $2,000 for choosing to keep their job with the city. At the end of January, the board voted to approve higher salaries for about 50 city employees who handle trash pickup.
“It increases the salary of Solid Waste workers across the board by $2.74 per hour. We think that makes us market competitive with our surrounding communities and, specifically, industry-specific to Solid Waste folks with CDLs doing that kind of work,” Perry explained.
The new pay scale, which is expected to cost the city $200,000, sets the new hourly pay between $15.85 and $24.11 per hour. Solid Waste employees have their income determined by their specific job title and how long they have been with the city. Perry said additional pay raises may be implemented for other Public Works employees throughout the year as well.
The city’s wage increases are expected to attract more job candidates and set the trash pickup schedule back to normal in the coming months. In the meantime, Bradenton’s trash collection schedule is as follows:
Jan. 31 to Feb. 4 - Yard waste only
Feb. 7 to 11 - Recycling only
Feb. 14 to 18 - Yard waste only
Feb. 21 to 25 - Recycling only
Feb. 28 to March 4 - Yard waste only
This story was originally published February 8, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
