Philadelphia's streets will see the return of regular trash pickup starting July 13, a relief to residents after a week-long strike from city workers that put a halt to this and other essential services. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 33, or AFSCME DC 33, comprises about 9,000 city workers. The strike began last Tuesday midnight, and came to a close with a tentative contract agreement reached early on Wednesday, as reported by NBC Philadelphia.
Mayor Cherelle Parker heralded the deal as groundbreaking, with her team achieving a 14% salary increase for the union across her term, a marked increase given the historical context. The agreement includes a 3% raise for each of the three years of the contract, and in addition, a $1,500 signing bonus for workers in the first year. Parkers' administration speaks of this contract as "historic" and a point of significant progress for the workforce, this comes from statements obtained by WHYY in their coverage of the event. However, the deal fell short of the 32% total pay increase AFSCME DC 33 initially sought.
Alongside the 3% annual raises, Mayor Parker said that a "5th step" salary scale increase of 2%, which half of the union members are already eligible for, will take effect immediately, with eligibility expanding to 80% of members by the end of the three-year deal. "I want you to know, Philadelphia, this is a new, permanent salary increase that every member of District Council 33 will be able to benefit from," Parker mentioned to the city, as CBS News Philadelphia reported.
Despite the triumphal rhetoric from the city leaders, the union's position was less celebratory. Following a grueling 12-hour negotiation session, AFSCME DC 33 President Greg Boulware expressed a mix of relief and regret, "Your union stood up and fought for you and we did the best we can with the circumstances we had in front of us," he told WHYY. Meanwhile, in a statement that unfortunately underlined the strain of the negotiations he hoped was over, Boulware said in an interview with CBS News Philadelphia, "The city of Philadelphia has to do better by its members, has to put the members and the workers and all the essential functions as a priority of the city."
The economic implication of the agreement, which the city asserts will cost $115 million, hints at the factors at play – a balance between fiscal responsibility and fair compensation for city employees. Employees were eager to get back to work, both to restore city functions and to prevent further paycheck delays, with Boulware informing the workforce to resume pending a ratification vote, according to CBS News Philadelphia.
