Philadelphia City Workers’ Strike Enters Second Week, Sanitation and Services Disrupted
Philadelphia City Workers’ Strike Enters Second Week, Sanitation and Services Disrupted
The strike by nearly 10,000 Philadelphia city workers, including trash collectors and clerks, has entered its second week, continuing to disrupt essential services across the city. Negotiations, which resumed on Wednesday, July 2, have yet to yield a breakthrough, with union leaders stating they remain “very, very far apart” from the city’s offer.
The dispute, primarily centered on wages and work rules, has led to suspended residential trash collection, closures of some city pools and libraries, and reduced recreation center hours. Despite Mayor Cherelle Parker’s vow to maintain city operations, residents like Steven Connell, 65, are already feeling the impact, navigating designated trash drop-off sites amidst picket lines and concerns of a prolonged summer strike reminiscent of the 1986 sanitation crisis.
Meanwhile, a Common Pleas Court judge has ordered some emergency service dispatchers and essential water department employees back to work, citing “clear and present danger” due to their absence. The city’s latest offer includes a three-year contract with annual raises of approximately 3%, which the AFSCME District Council 33, representing the striking workers, deems insufficient for members to afford living in the city.
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