Officials have announced that an agreement has been reached between the city and the union representing thousands of Philadelphia city workers, which will end the strike that halted trash collection on residential curbs and impacted other city services.
On July 1, about 10,000 blue-collar workers from District Council 33, representing various city employees, had walked off the job while seeking better pay and benefits after unsuccessful negotiations with the city.
This interim contract will provide a 3% pay raise for workers each year for the next three years.
According to Mayor Sherrel Parker, half of the union’s members will bump up their wages by an additional 2% through raised levels on the wage scale. Most members should qualify for this by the end of the contract period.
Residential trash collection is set to resume on Monday, with Parker urging for “Grace” as daily services such as pools, libraries, and recreation centers get back to normal.
District Council 33 is the largest among four major unions representing city workers, which includes roles like 911 dispatchers and garbage collectors. However, police and firefighters were not part of the strike action.
Parker stated that over her four-year term, DC33 members will see a total salary increase of 14%, incorporating a 5% hike during her first year as mayor, benefiting all four unions since her administration began.
Despite the garbage accumulation in neighborhoods, many residents seemed to empathize with the need for fair wages for DC33 workers.
The average annual salary for union members is around $46,000.
It’s important to note that members will still need to ratify this contract.
However, not everyone found the settlement satisfactory. Actor Rich Henkels, a recent arrival in Philadelphia, expressed disappointment, arguing that the raises do not adequately support workers and their families due to inflation outpacing the increases.
The settlement came on the ninth day of the strike, which coincided with the July 4th holiday weekend.
Numerous drop-off centers set up for residential trash were already overflowing by that time.
Meanwhile, most libraries and several city pools were closed, and recreation centers had limited operations. Judges had intervened, ordering that some essential employees be assigned to roles in the 911 center, water department, and at the airport during the strike.
In a brief statement, union president Greg Boulewor stressed that they had done their best given the circumstances they faced.
