Shreveport Trash Delays Explained: Inside the Plan to Raise Worker Pay

My garbage collection in Shreveport is on Mondays, but the past few weeks it's been delayed until Tuesday. This has happened across the city because of a shortage of drivers. This has prompted city leaders to bump up the pay for drivers to try to attract new drivers and keep the ones we do have.

The Shreveport City Council is considering an ordinance to grant workers a pay raise even higher than the administration has already put in place. Mayor Tom Arceneaux has already boosted the pay to 21.78 an hour, but some councilmembers want to kick that up to $25 dollars.

Shortage Impacts Daily Operations

Route delays across the city are driven by a shortage of qualified drivers. City public works officials say they usually have between 35 and 40 trucks rolling each day, but lately we have only been able to send out 28 to 29 trucks because of the driver shortage. And this backs up pickup across the city.

READ MORE: WOULD YOU BE IN FAVOR OF A FEE INCREASE IN SHREVEPORT

Proposed Pay Raises for Shreveport Garbage Workers

To combat the regional shortfall of CDL holders, an initial pay increase bumped driver pay up by over $2.00 per hour, raising rates to $21.78. However, during debates over this measure, several council members argued that this adjustment does not go far enough. Council leaders pointed out that competing markets offer $25 to $30 per hour, suggesting Shreveport must offer competitive wages around $25 per hour to effectively recruit and retain reliable staff rather than relying on a temporary solution.

How Will Shreveport Pay for a Higher Increase

Boosting the pay to $25 dollars an hour could have a pretty big impact on the budget. It is something Mayor Arceneaux tells KEEL News would be difficult to fund. This measure will be discussed during the infrastructure committee meeting today before being hashed out during today's council meeting. The committee is also expected to talk about the garbage fees paid by residents. Shreveporters currently pay $7.00 a month for sanitation services. Other cities pay significantly more than that.