PHILADELPHIA (WPHL) – A tentative agreement has been reached between the City of Philadelphia and AFSCME District Council 33, effectively ending an eight-day strike by approximately 9,000 municipal workers. The walkout, which began July 1, disrupted sanitation, water services, 911 dispatch, and more.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and other city officials held a press conference Wednesday morning to discuss the tentative 3-year contract agreement and what comes next.
Key terms of the tentative agreement
- Three-year contract:
- The new deal will deliver a 14% pay increase over Mayor Cherelle Parker’s first term, building on an earlier 5% raise awarded in 2024 in the one-year contract extension.
- Annual raises:
- Workers will receive 3% annual pay increases, significantly less than the 8% annual raises DC 33 initially sought.
- Historic 5th Step increase:
- Half of the DC 33 members will get the 2% increase immediately, 80% will receive the 2% increase by the end of the contract.
- According to the City of Philadelphia, the 5th Step will give long-term union employees greater earning potential.
- Tentative nature:
- The agreement still requires a vote by union members before being finalized.
What leaders are saying
Mayor Cherelle Parker called it a win for both workers and the city’s fiscal health: “We’re valuing our workforce and safeguarding our city’s hard-earned fiscal stability at the same time.”
Early Wednesday morning, DC 33 President Greg Boulware came out of the Community College of Philadelphia building where negotiations had gone on through the night. He said he wasn’t satisfied with the deal. He wanted his members to know that union leadership fought hard for what they believed they deserved.
“I’m not satisfied,” Boulware said. “I want our members to know that union leaders fought hard for what we believe they deserved.”
On Thursday, DC 33 posted a message from Boulware, which included a breakdown of the city’s “overly aggressive demands.”
Toll from the strike
- Public services:
- Trash piled up across neighborhoods, with many residents foregoing curbside pickup and turning to temporary disposal sites—some of which overflowed due to limited staffing.
- Legal action:
- Court injunctions mandated that essential personnel—including 911 operators, water department workers, and airport dispatchers—return to duty during the strike.
What happens next?
Union ratification vote
DC 33 members will vote on the contract. If approved, the return to work begins immediately.
Boulware stated workers “will be back on the job as early as Wednesday.”
Trash & recycling collection: service restoration
Trash service will resume on Monday, July 14.
The temporary trash collection sites will no longer be used. Residents are urged to use the six Sanitation Convenience Centers, which will be open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, they will be open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Starting Monday, July 14 they will resume normal operations, Monday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Director of Clean & Green Initiatives Carlton Williams warned residents that just because trash collection will be resuming, it is still not a free pass for illegal dumping. The city will be installing surveillance cameras at all trash collection sites. ALL illegal dumping will come with a $5,000 fee, and the city will partner with the Philadelphia Parking Authority to track down offending license plates and prosecute them.
Health Centers
All of the Philadelphia Health Department’s Health Centers are open and operating at full capacity. Appointments that were missed or canceled will be rescheduled.
Free Library of Philadelphia
According to the city, more than half of the Free Library branches are open on Wednesday as normal library services are resumed. To find the hours for your neighborhood library, click here.
Due dates for currently due library materials have been pushed to Tuesday, July 15.
Pools, spraygrounds, and rec centers
Philadelphia Parks and Recreation is working to have all the drained pools during the work stoppage refilled by Monday.
Recreation Centers will resume normal summer hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Their hours were previously reduced during the strike, with centers closing at 5 p.m.
This is a developing story; stay with PHL17.com as more information becomes available.
