Trash Collection Advice Issued as Philadelphia Workers Strike
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Philadelphia residents have been warned to brace for a largescale workers' strike designed to shut down key infrastructure, such as garbage removal, starting Tuesday.
Roughly 9,000 staff belonging to the city workers' union―the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) District Council (DC) 33―will down tools in a move affecting services from trash collection to street cleaning, including police dispatch.
One of the first things that the city's residents will notice is that no employees will arrive to remove their trash from Tuesday morning, with Mayor Cherelle Parker issuing information to households about how to dispose of their garbage. Public trashcans also look set to remain unemptied with garbage piling up in the streets of the Pennsylvania city.
A sanitation worker clears trash in this archive photo from November 2011, which was taken in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
A sanitation worker clears trash in this archive photo from November 2011, which was taken in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Newsweek has reached out by email to DC 33 and the mayor's office seeking comment.
Why It Matters
This marks the first time the city's largest workers' union is on strike in almost 40 years, according to CBS News Philadelphia, after negotiations for new contracts broke down.
It comes just ahead of the Fourth of July long weekend, which will see the city hosting a Wawa-sponsored free concert featuring LL Cool J and a fireworks display on Friday. Mayor Parker, a pro-labor Democrat, promised that celebrations in the nation's birthplace would go on as usual. "Keep your holiday plans. Don't leave the city," she said.
What To Know
The union wants an 8 percent pay increase every year for four years and improved health care benefits, according to CBS News Philadelphia. But Parker said it's impossible to meet those terms and argues her offer of a one-off 12 percent rise over her term is generous, and would also run alongside the existing health care coverage.
It's not just trash collection services that are due to be affected by the strike.
Some 200 police officers will be moved from their usual duties to operating phonelines at the dispatch call center, and wait times for 911 calls are expected to rise. Crossing guards are also expected to leave their posts, and parents were advised to ensure they can get their children to and from school safely in the meantime. And the Water Department says its customers will likely wait longer for service and repairs.
Philadelphia residents have been told not to place their trash or recycling on the curbs outside their homes from Tuesday, and have been reminded that illegally dumping trash elsewhere can result in prosecutions.
Instead, the city has created 63 temporary drop-off locations for residents to bring up to eight bags of trash, Parker said, adding that the list of sites and opening times are available on the city's website. Residents were told they can take their bagged household trash there on their usual collection days and Parker confirmed that more sites will open if necessary.
However, all sites will be closed on July 4, even if the strike remains in force at that time.
No loose trash will be accepted and the streets will not be cleaned.
The city has asked residents to hang on to their recyclable materials for as long as possible to allow them to focus on household waste, due to heath and safety concerns. But trash that can be recycled will be accepted at the six existing Sanitation Convenience Centers.
What People Are Saying
Mayor Cherelle Parker said on Monday: "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. 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 curb-side collection until further notice."
Workers' union DC 33 took to its Facebook page to inform its members that the two sides had failed to reach a deal over a "marathon negotiating session" over the weekend. Under a banner proclaiming "NO DEAL!" the union said that a "lack of progress on critical matters such as fair wages and comprehensive healthcare benefits" meant the union was now "moving forward with our plans for Monday's rally and expect to be on strike at 12.01 a.m. Tuesday morning."
The union told its members: "Together, we will strive to achieve a fair and equitable agreement that honors your contributions and secures a bright future for everyone involved. In solidarity!"
What Happens Next
The city's workers will hope the strike will force the city to revise their pay offer and result in a better deal for union members, while the city will be hoping its stopgap measures will keep Philadelphia running.
In the meantime, the city's residents must navigate the loss of basic services.
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