BOSTON — With Boston three weeks into a garbage strike that’s left businesses steaming and sidewalks stinking, Mayor Michelle Wu has found her latest target: not the striking union, not her own health inspectors, but the waste company itself.

In a letter sent Wednesday to Republic Services President Jon Vander Ark, Wu announced that the city would begin forwarding all trash violation fines directly to the company — even though it's Boston’s businesses that have been footing the bill and taking the hit.

“The ongoing dispute is taking an unacceptable toll,” Wu wrote, while acknowledging that city inspectors have been issuing daily fines to businesses who are still under contract with Republic — but not getting any pickups.

“City health and safety code enforcement personnel have also reported interactions with businesses throughout the city that are struggling — paying for trash pickup service under contracts with Republic Services that they are not receiving, while also being assessed fines for trash violations on a daily basis that are making already tight margins unsustainable,” Wu said.

Translation: You pay for trash pickup, don’t get it, get fined anyway — and now Wu says someone else should get the bill.

According to the mayor, Boston code enforcement officers will now issue trash violations directly to Republic Services instead of to the businesses. The city will also forward every violation written since July 7 to the company. (No fines were issued during the early days of the strike, July 1–6.)

“As Mayor, it is my job to protect residents, businesses, and neighborhoods,” Wu added.

As reported by the Boston Herald, Republic Services responded by saying they too are concerned about the trash crisis — and placed the blame squarely on Teamsters Local 25.

“We share Mayor Wu’s concerns and empathize with our customers’ frustrations,” a spokesperson said. “Any delays in service lie squarely at the feet of Teamsters Local 25. We are working hard to provide service, but the Teamsters continue to prevent and block our access to many customer sites. The Teamsters also continue to harass, threaten and physically intimidate our employees, and vandalize our collection vehicles.”

The trash strike, now entering its fourth week, began July 1 when approximately 450 union members walked off the job after their contract expired. Republic has since attempted to maintain service using outside labor, which the union has branded as “scabs.”

The company has taken its claims of harassment, vehicle theft, and intimidation to federal court. On Monday, a judge denied Republic’s request for an injunction, despite accepting the company’s statements of alleged criminal behavior as true.

“The Judge stated that he accepted as true all of our witness statements outlining the criminal behavior by the Teamsters, including multiple acts of violence and the illegal and dangerous interference of our collection vehicles out on the road as they try to service the public,” the company said.

In the meantime, Boston businesses continue to sit between a picket line and a dumpster — while City Hall plays pass-the-blame.