Latest news with #DistrictCouncil33
CBS News
21-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
DC 33 wraps up voting on tentative deal with Parker administration, results expected to be released Monday
Residents in Philadelphia's Spring Garden neighborhood put out their trash Sunday night confident that their Monday pickup would happen. But will that be the case in the days ahead? A week and a half ago, AFSCME District Council 33, with about 9,000 members, reached a tentative three-year agreement with the city of Philadelphia. The deal includes a 3% raise for each year. That agreement needs to be ratified by a majority of the union's members to go into effect. Over the past week, through Sunday afternoon, members voted in person at union headquarters in University City. The union represents sanitation workers and other employees across multiple city departments, from police dispatchers and crossing guards to maintenance workers at Philadelphia International Airport. All votes will be counted at the District 33 headquarters on Monday. That's when results are expected to be announced. In the meantime, many residents are left to wait and hope for the best. Amber Daddezio and AJ Burton saw the trash mounds around Graduate Hospital and in North Philadelphia, where they live. While they hate to think about another potential halt to pickups, they also understand. "It makes me nervous," Daddezio said. "They're not paid nearly enough for this incredibly important hard work that they're doing every single day," Burton said. It's a similar sentiment from Scout Woodhouse, who's willing to sacrifice a few more days if it means a fair deal for those who help keep the city running. "They are the backbone of the city. They help operations and daily functions, and they deserve more," Woodhouse said.
New York Post
10-07-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Philadelphia workers and city reach deal to end strike that halted residential trash pickup
A union representing thousands of city workers in Philadelphia and the city have reached a deal to end a more than weeklong strike that halted residential curbside trash pickup and affected other services, officials said Wednesday. Nearly 10,000 blue-collar employees from District Council 33 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees walked off the job July 1, seeking better pay and benefits after negotiations with the city failed. The tentative agreement gives workers a 3% raise in each of the next three years, far from the union's quest for 5% annual pay hikes. Advertisement 6 Piles of garbage pile up at a collection site in Philadelphia on July 9, 2025. AP Half of the members will get an additional 2% raise through an added level on the pay scale, Mayor Cherelle Parker said, and most members will qualify by the end of the contract. Residential trash collection will resume Monday, according to Parker, who asked for 'grace' as pools, libraries, recreation centers and other services get back to normal. Advertisement District Council 33 is the largest of four major unions representing city workers. Its membership includes 911 dispatchers, trash collectors, water department workers and many others. Police and firefighters weren't part of the strike. Parker said that over her four-year term, DC33 workers will have received a total pay bump of 14%, including a 5% one-year hike she gave all four unions after taking office last year. Many residents seemed to support boosting the pay of DC33 workers, even as trash piled up in neighborhoods. 6 A woman drops off trash at a garbage collection site on July 3, 2025. AP Advertisement 6 A man throws a bag of garbage into a bin as trash piles up on the streets of Philadelphia during the strike. AP The union says they earn an average $46,000 a year. Union members must still ratify the agreement. Rich Henkels, an actor who just moved into the city, called the settlement 'disappointing.' Advertisement 'The announced raises do nothing for the workers and their families, as the increases will be less than the rate of inflation,' said Henkels, 64. 6 Trash overflows into the streets of Philadelphia on July 8, 2025. AP 6 A front-end loader was brought in to clean up the collection sites overflowing with garbage in Philadelphia on July 7, 2025. AP 6 Garbage fills up a container as the Philadelphia skyline is seen in the background on July 3, 2025.. AP The settlement was announced early on the ninth day of the strike, a period that included the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Some of the 60 drop-off centers that the city had designated for residential trash were overflowing. Most libraries and some pools across the city were closed, and recreation centers operated on reduced hours. Advertisement Last week, judges had sided with the city in ordering some critical employees back to work at the city's 911 centers, water department and airport. 'We did the best we could with the circumstances we had in front of us,' union President Greg Boulware told reporters in brief remarks Wednesday morning.
CTV News
09-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Philadelphia workers and city reach a deal to end strike that halted residential trash pickup
PHILADELPHIA — A union representing thousands of city workers in Philadelphia and the city have reached a deal to end a more than weeklong strike that halted residential curbside trash pickup and affected other services, officials said Wednesday. Nearly 10,000 blue-collar employees from District Council 33 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees walked off the job July 1, seeking better pay and benefits after negotiations with the city failed. The tentative agreement gives workers a three per cent raise in each of the next three years, far from the union's quest for five per cent annual pay hikes. Half of the members will get an additional two per cent raise through an added level on the pay scale, Mayor Cherelle Parker said, and most members will qualify by the end of the contract. Residential trash collection will resume Monday, according to Parker, who asked for 'grace' as pools, libraries, recreation centers and other services get back to normal. 'This is a very significant investment in our employees while at the same time ensuring that we as a city are living by our means,' Parker said at a news conference. District Council 33 is the largest of four major unions representing city workers. Its membership includes 911 dispatchers, trash collectors, water department workers and many others. Police and firefighters weren't part of the strike. Parker said that over her four-year term, DC33 workers will have received a total pay bump of 14 per cent, including a five per cent one-year hike she gave all four unions after taking office last year. Many residents seemed to support boosting the pay of DC33 workers, even as trash piled up in neighbourhoods. The union says they earn an average $46,000 a year. Union members must still ratify the agreement. Rich Henkels, an actor who just moved into the city, called the settlement 'disappointing.' 'The announced raises do nothing for the workers and their families, as the increases will be less than the rate of inflation,' said Henkels, 64. The settlement was announced early on the ninth day of the strike, a period that included the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Some of the 60 drop-off centers that the city had designated for residential trash were overflowing. Most libraries and some pools across the city were closed, and recreation centers operated on reduced hours. Last week, judges had sided with the city in ordering some critical employees back to work at the city's 911 centers, water department and airport. 'We did the best we could with the circumstances we had in front of us,' union President Greg Boulware told reporters in brief remarks Wednesday morning. Maryclaire Dale And Tassanee Vejpongsa, The Associated Press
The Hill
09-07-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Philadelphia workers and city reach a deal to end strike that halted residential trash pickup
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A union representing thousands of city workers in Philadelphia and the city have reached a deal to end a more than weeklong strike that halted residential curbside trash pickup and affected other services, officials said Wednesday. Nearly 10,000 blue-collar employees from District Council 33 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees walked off the job July 1, seeking better pay and benefits after negotiations with the city failed. The tentative agreement gives workers a 3% raise in each of the next three years, far from the union's quest for 5% annual pay hikes. Half of the members will get an additional 2% raise through an added level on the pay scale, Mayor Cherelle Parker said, and most members will qualify by the end of the contract. Residential trash collection will resume Monday, according to Parker, who asked for 'grace' as pools, libraries, recreation centers and other services get back to normal. 'This is a very significant investment in our employees while at the same time ensuring that we as a city are living by our means,' Parker said at a news conference. District Council 33 is the largest of four major unions representing city workers. Its membership includes 911 dispatchers, trash collectors, water department workers and many others. Police and firefighters weren't part of the strike. Parker said that over her four-year term, DC33 workers will have received a total pay bump of 14%, including a 5% one-year hike she gave all four unions after taking office last year. Many residents seemed to support boosting the pay of DC33 workers, even as trash piled up in neighborhoods. The union says they earn an average $46,000 a year. Union members must still ratify the agreement. Rich Henkels, an actor who just moved into the city, called the settlement 'disappointing.' 'The announced raises do nothing for the workers and their families, as the increases will be less than the rate of inflation,' said Henkels, 64. The settlement was announced early on the ninth day of the strike, a period that included the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Some of the 60 drop-off centers that the city had designated for residential trash were overflowing. Most libraries and some pools across the city were closed, and recreation centers operated on reduced hours. Last week, judges had sided with the city in ordering some critical employees back to work at the city's 911 centers, water department and airport. 'We did the best we could with the circumstances we had in front of us,' union President Greg Boulware told reporters in brief remarks Wednesday morning.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Backbone of city': Philadelphia union workers end strike; reach ‘historic deal' with city
AP file photo Philadelphia officials said on Wednesday that the city has reached a deal with a union representing thousands of city workers and have ended a strike that had lasted for more than a week and disrupted curbside trash pickup and other services. Nearly 10,000 blue-collar workers had walked off the job on July 1 as a sign of protest demanding better pay and benefits, after a new contract with the city had fallen through, as reported by AP. 'The work stoppage involving the District Council 33 and the City of Philadelphia is OVER,' posted mayor Cherelle Parker, a pro-labor democrat, marking the end of the strike. 'We have reached a tentative agreement with District Council 33, which must be ratified by its membership on a new three-year contract that, coupled with the one-year contract extension we agreed to last fall, will increase DC 33 members' pay by 14 percent over my four years in office,' she added. 'We'll have much more to say about this historic deal,' said Parker at City Hall. 'We did the best we could with the circumstances we had in front of us,' remarked union president Greg Boulware, speaking with reporters after the deal had been agreed on. The tentative agreement was announced on what would have been the strike's ninth day. The walkout, which spanned the Fourth of July holiday weekend, led to a growing trash backlog, with some drop-off centers overflowing. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like A cancer that is stuck to her kidney, help my baby girl! Donate For Health Donate Now Undo 'Keep your holiday plans. Don't leave the city,' Parker had said. She had promised that the 4th of July celebrations would continue as usual. Last week, judges ruled in the city's favor, ordering certain essential employees, such as those at 911 centers, the water department, and the airport, back to work. District Council 33, the largest of the city's four main unions, represents a wide range of workers, including 911 dispatchers, trash collectors, and water department staff. Police and firefighters were not involved in the strike. 'The city has the money to pay us, we are the backbone of the city,' Dhafir Gerald, 48, a library security guard, had said last week, as reported by AP. The initial contract proposed by the Union leaders had asked for 8 percent annual raises, every year of the three-year contract, along with a hike in cost of living and bonuses upto $5,000 for those workers who had worked during the pandemic. The union also pushed for the city to cover the full cost of employee health care, $1,700 per person each month. In November, a strike was avoided in the city's transit system after both sides agreed to a one-year contract that included 5% raises.
