Thousands of garbage workers walked off the job Wednesday morning in Chicago-area counties, but DeKalb residents will not have to worry about their trash piling up.

About 3,300 members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters went on strike shortly after their old contract expired. The Chicago Area Refuse Haulers Association declared a lockout and halted negotiations, according to a Chicago Tribune article.

Bill Plunkett, spokesman for the Refuse Haulers Association, told the Chicago Tribune Wednesday the strike will affect all of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties, and most of DuPage County.

DeKalb City Manager Jim Connors said it was his understanding the strikes would not affect DeKalb County. That later was confirmed by Waste Management West officials who said sympathy strikes were taking place closer to the actual strikes, but not in DeKalb County.

Wage disputes caused the strikes, according to the Tribune. The Refuse Association was offering a $2.25 wage and benefit increase over five years, but the Teamsters union wanted a $6.55 increase over three years. Plunkett called the 30 percent increase “out of line” and said it would essentially punish customers.

The strike will leave millions of residential homes and businesses without trash pickup until negotiations are settled. Arrangements are being made for garbage pickup at hospitals and O’Hare Airport, but other than that, no pickups will be made until settlements are made, according to the Tribune.

The garbage workers are paid between $10 and $21 per hour, with most wages closer to $21.

Those affected by the strikes were asked by cities to not put their trash on the street so it would not attract rodents