PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The city’s 9,000 blue-collar workers are going back to work. After eight days and four hours, the strike is over. AFSCME District Council 33 and the city reached a deal on a new three-year contract early Wednesday morning.
The tentative agreement includes 3% raises per year, plus a $1,500 signing bonus and a fifth “step increase” of 2% for workers at the top of the scale, which Mayor Parker called “historic”. The union had been seeking 5% annual raises. The pay is being funded by a slight reduction in the city’s contribution to the health and welfare fund. The residency requirement remains in place.
Mayor Parker was gracious in victory, repeating her admiration for city workers and extending an olive branch to union president Greg Boulware.
“I know we’re going to need some healing time. You can’t go through something as intense as this and not have to go through healing time,” she said.
“We’re valuing our workforce and we’re safeguarding our city’s hard-earned fiscal stability at the same time.”
However, District Council 33 President Greg Boulware was not entirely pleased by what was agreed to.
“The city of Philadelphia has to do better by its members. Has to put the members and the workers who handle all the essential functions of the city as a priority in the city. I don’t feel like that’s been done,” he said at 4 a.m. after finishing the marathon meeting. “I’m not happy or satisfied with the outcome.”
Boulware did not go into the terms of the deal, but he was fighting for 20% raises over four years. He said there were a lot of factors involved in this agreement, and union officials did what they thought was in the best interest of the workers.
Some workers were back on the job as early as Wednesday. Trash has piled up across the city during the eight-day strike.
District Council 33 is the city’s largest workers union, made up of sanitation workers, 911 dispatchers and other municipal workers.
Trash collection
Parker said the city will resume regular residential trash collection on Monday, July 14.
Residents are eager to see the piles of garbage that have built up over the last eight days disappear. Dumpsters and select collection sites have been overwhelmed with garbage all over the city.
“The volume exceeded the amount that can be held by a single dumpster at any one time,” said Steve Ehrenhalt, a Graduate Hospital resident who lives near the 18th and Fitzwater streets trash site.
He said he understands why sanitation workers fought for a better wage, but the strike came at a very bad time.
“Pulling a strike right before the busiest weekend in the city and with 100-degree temperatures and everything baking, I think that was really below the belt,” he said.
Clean and Green Commissioner Carlton Williams said the city is closing the 60 temporary collection centers it opened for residents to drop off trash.
“We heard you about the odors. We heard you about the litter,” he said.
He added that the city is installing cameras at every temporary collection site to prevent illegal dumping and will clean any of the locations that became a de facto dump site during the strike.
He asked residents who can’t wait till their regular collection day next week to take their trash to one of the six city sanitation centers.
“Anyone who has the audacity to think you’re going to come in and dump in our city, you will be fined $5,000 per item per incident, and if you use your truck, we will confiscate your vehicle,” said Williams.
“We’re not playing. You will not come in and take advantage of a situation and dirty up our city and tear the quality of life in our community.”