NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- About 40 sanitation workers in New Jersey's largest city showed up to collect trash for free on Wednesday even though it was a furlough day.

Newark administrators turned them away.

The Star-Ledger of Newark reported the workers stood for more than an hour outside the locked gates before giving up and going home.

Dispatcher James Bass told the newspaper people need to come out and help them.

The city plans to lay off 251 sanitation workers in the coming weeks and likely outsource their job to private companies.

Sanitation workers account for roughly 30 percent of the 850 layoffs scheduled to take effect on Nov. 12.

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