Strike looms as District Council 33, City of Philadelphia end negotiations Monday without deal
After the latest marathon with the city, which ended without a deal, Philadelphia's largest blue-collar union is moving toward going on strike at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.
left Monday morning's negotiations with the Parker administration without a new contract in place.
The union is scheduled to hold a solidarity rally at 5 p.m. Monday at City Hall.
The 16-hour negotiating session began Sunday afternoon and lasted through Monday morning. The union said it has ended talks and plans to proceed with a strike.
The strike would include approximately 9,000 blue-collar city workers from the streets, water and sanitation departments, as well as police dispatch and airport operations.
DC 33 is seeking an 8% pay increase every year for four years and health care benefits for all employees.
"Sometimes in life, you've got to take a step backward to take meaningful steps forward," DC 33 President Greg Boulware said Monday morning. "And our men and women don't want to do it, and truth be told, can't afford to do it, we can't continue going down the road that we've been going for this many years. We have to see change."
Over the weekend, Mayor Cherelle Parker claimed the city offered a more than 12% wage increase over her four-year term to the table — and kept health care coverage intact. She said the city will continue to come to the table.
"If the city comes back and comes to the table with something different than what they've been offering for the last 16 hours, perhaps there's an opportunity to make some progress," Boulware said.
If a deal is not struck by midnight, DC 33 will strike at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday morning.
How will trash pickup be affected in Philadelphia?
Parker said Monday that, in the event of a work stoppage by city sanitation workers, residents should refrain from placing trash and recycling at the curb starting Tuesday. Parker also asked residents not to dump trash anywhere illegally.
"Obviously, this is the topic that is on everyone's minds today. How will the city dispose of my trash if there's a work stoppage? If there is a work stoppage, the Department of Sanitation will be operating on what we refer to as a modified capacity," Parker said. "There will be no residential trash collection or recycling effective Tuesday, July 1. We encourage residents, and we ask you to please refrain from placing any trash or recycling out for curbside collection until further notice."
Parker said the city is arranging 63 temporary drop-off locations for Philadelphia residents to bring their trash if a work stoppage happens. The mayor said the list would be available on the , and residents should bring their trash on their regular collection days. She said more locations would open if needed.
Street sweeping, bulk collection and clean block Saturdays will stop if a strike happens, officials said. Recycling will only be collected at sanitation convenience centers.
What other services will a strike affect?
DC 33 also includes 911 dispatchers, airport operations workers, some Water Department staff and other city employees.
Philadelphia police said the department will move 200 officers into the 911 operations call center in the event of a strike.
Officials are asking for callers' patience when they call 911 because wait times will increase, and they said callers should not hang up.
If a strike occurs, the city will keep only 25 city pools open, as DC 33 workers are responsible for pool maintenance. The will have information about which pools are open. Spraygrounds will be open as usual.
The Water Department said it is cross-training employees to assist during a possible strike. Still, the department said customers could experience longer wait times for service and repairs, and workers will prioritize repairs by severity and available resources.
The Water Department said its customer contact line will remain open but wait times could be longer than usual. Residents can call 215-685-6300 to report emergency issues. Customers should use the self-service options online and over the phone to pay bills and get account information.
Rec centers will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. but would not have evening hours if a strike happens. Summer camps will continue as scheduled. Cooling centers will remain open as normal.
Philadelphia International Airport will remain open and operational, officials said. A spokesperson for the airport said workers who are not part of the union will cover DC 33 jobs during a strike.
Will a strike change July 4 events in Philadelphia?
Fourth of July events in Philadelphia will continue as planned, Parker said Monday.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
