A large pile of trash bags sits curbside in New York City. (Credit: SK/Getty Images)
As of today, July 1st, Philadelphia’s largest municipal workers' union is on strike after failing to reach a contract agreement with the city. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 33 has officially walked off the job for the first time in nearly 40 years, which was last done in 1986.
District Council 33 provides essential services to the city, including trash collection, street maintenance, water and waste treatment, and 911 dispatching. If a contract agreement is not reached soon, Philadelphia may be lost on where to go next.
In a city that already deals with trash pile-ups and other complaints, this is not the direction that residents want to go in. Some residents have already reported trash pile-ups on their streets within hours of the strike begining .
Philly trash pile up day one thanks to @PhillyMayor refusal to pay workers livable wages pic.twitter.com/LltH1w00xC
President of District Council 33, Greg Boulware, announced the immediate and indefinite work pause for more than 9,000 municipal employees in his union.
“We got people that work and repair the water mains and can't afford their water bill,” Boulware said. “I don’t want to be rich. We just want comfort inside the city that we serve daily.”
Last night, the union was seeking an 8% yearly raise, and the best the city would offer was an 8% raise over three years.
“When inflation is up and the cost of living is up 2%, 3% raises don’t change the narrative,” Boulware explained.
Boulware’s call to strike came after contract negotiations with Mayor Cherelle L. Parker were not met late last night. He explained that two weeks ago, he held a strike authorization vote in which 95% of the District Council 33 members voted in favor of.
“It was our best offer, our final offer, and we did the best that we could. It’s very unfortunate, but we remain willing and able to continue having conversations with District Council 33 in the hopes that we will find a way to reach some compromise,” Parker explained. “However, my job right now … is to ensure that the city of Philadelphia continues to provide services that our residents deserve and expect.”
It is essential that residents comply with the directions given by Mayor Parker, as she plans to reduce the amount of waste ending up on the street during the work stoppage.
While the union is on strike, the city is asking residents not to place trash on the curbside.
The city has implemented temporary drop-off sites for residents to bring their trash to.
The drop-off sites will be open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, most set up on grass lots or old Rite Aid and Walgreens parking lots; however, operations will not begin until today at 5 p.m..
Recycling will only be accepted at the six Sanitation Convenience Centers located throughout the city. The centers will be open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. as well.
Mayor Parker announced that if the work stoppage continues for an extended period of time, the city will look into adding additional drop-off spots.
On the safety side, it is very important to note that there is the possibility of slower pick-up times for emergency 911 calls. Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel explained that officers are being moved to handle complaint calls.
“One of the things we do expect is some wait times for 911 due to some of the shortages,” Bethel explained. “Do not hang up.”
By next week, more than 60 pools were scheduled to be open for the summer. However, only 24 pools will be open during the work stoppage due to limited maintenance availability. It is important to note that city spray grounds will remain open to help the public stay cool.
Local recreation centers will feel an impact as well, as they will experience shortened hours of operation from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., in addition to evening programs being temporarily suspended.
