Philadelphia trash strike ends after garbage piles up for days on city streets
A strike that left the streets of Philadelphia lined with trash is coming to an end.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said a tentative agreement will put an end to a work stoppage that began June 30. That agreement boosts the city's blue-collar workers' pay by 14% over four years, Parker said in a social media post.
"The strike is over!" the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 33 posted to social media in the early morning hours of July 9.
A few days earlier, the AFSCME posted a photo to social media showing piles of trash along a road as the strike stretched on.
AFSCME District Council 33, which represents more than 9,000 city workers, went on strike at midnight June 30, impacting city services including trash and recycling collections, street and water repairs and maintenance, libraries and public pools, airport custodial services, licenses and inspections and public health services.
The city designated several sites all over the city for residents to take their trash on designated days with curbside trash and recycling collection suspended. Photos showed piles of trash along streets and vacant lots during the strike.
The city set up a webpage with live updates for residents who have questions or concerns about the strike's impact. On July 9, that site celebrated as well: "The work stoppage involving District Council 33 and the City of Philadelphia is over."