Philadelphia's largest public sector union and Mayor Cherelle Parker have reached a tentative agreement, effectively ending an eight-day strike that significantly impacted city services.
Philadelphia's Public Workers Strike Concludes with Tentative Agreement
Philadelphia's Public Workers Strike Concludes with Tentative Agreement
A tentative deal ends the Philadelphia public workers strike, addressing critical issues like pay increases and trash collection disruptions.
The city’s largest public sector union and the mayor reached a tentative agreement early Wednesday morning, concluding an eight-day strike that paralyzed trash collection and several municipal functions. The union, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 33, representing about 9,000 municipal employees, including 1,000 sanitation workers, announced the end of the strike on Facebook shortly after 4:30 a.m. Eastern time.
Mayor Cherelle Parker announced the successful negotiations, stating, “I have good news tonight for the hard-working men and women of AFSCME District Council 33, and for every taxpaying resident and business in Philadelphia.” The strike commenced on July 1 and resulted in the suspension of various city programs, including the closure of public libraries, as the city struggled to manage increasing service demands, particularly regarding sanitation.
The most noticeable consequence of the strike was the accumulation of trash in streets, leading to unpleasant odors nationwide. In an effort to combat the disposal crisis, the city turned to private contractors and nonunion staff, facing backlash over this approach.
The agreement reached is for a three-year contract that promises a 14 percent wage increase for union members throughout Mayor Parker’s tenure. However, this deal is still pending ratification by union members. The workers had been operating under a one-year contract extension that expired at the beginning of July and had been seeking a more extended contract due to wage concerns that failed to keep pace with inflation. Notably, this strike marked the union’s first major work stoppage in nearly four decades.
Mayor Cherelle Parker announced the successful negotiations, stating, “I have good news tonight for the hard-working men and women of AFSCME District Council 33, and for every taxpaying resident and business in Philadelphia.” The strike commenced on July 1 and resulted in the suspension of various city programs, including the closure of public libraries, as the city struggled to manage increasing service demands, particularly regarding sanitation.
The most noticeable consequence of the strike was the accumulation of trash in streets, leading to unpleasant odors nationwide. In an effort to combat the disposal crisis, the city turned to private contractors and nonunion staff, facing backlash over this approach.
The agreement reached is for a three-year contract that promises a 14 percent wage increase for union members throughout Mayor Parker’s tenure. However, this deal is still pending ratification by union members. The workers had been operating under a one-year contract extension that expired at the beginning of July and had been seeking a more extended contract due to wage concerns that failed to keep pace with inflation. Notably, this strike marked the union’s first major work stoppage in nearly four decades.
