DC 33, city to resume negotiations Tuesday as Philadelphia strike continues
Negotiations are set to continue Tuesday between AFSCME District Council 33 and Philadelphia city leaders, union president Greg Boulware said. It's still unclear where and when the negotiations will take place, which will be Day 8 of the Philadelphia strike.
One week into Philadelphia's largest municipal workers' union strike, and both sides remain dug in.
DC 33 is fighting for higher wages and health care benefits for all its members. and is the largest blue-collar workers' union in the city. Members of DC 33 work within the sanitation and water departments, as well as in roles, including 911 dispatchers, crossing guards, morgue employees, airport staff and more.
But it's not just DC 33 union workers and city leaders who are frustrated. Philly residents are frustrated as trash continues to pile up across the city's neighborhoods.
During a press conference Monday, Carlton Williams, the city's director of Clean and Green Initiatives, said the city is working to provide more services at the sanitation convenience centers by clearing the garbage piles that have accumulated around the sites.
Williams said the city is working to expand the centers and implement more staff after hearing complaints from residents about overflowing dumpsters and people placing trash around the sites.
Residents are asked to use the dumpsters when they're open and not put trash outside the facilities because it slows down the collection process, Williams said.
"When bags are placed outside the dumpsters, they cause major delays and additional complications," he said.
Williams emphasized that these centers are not a free pass for illegal dumping, adding that they are a temporary solution for Philadelphia residents to dispose of their trash.
The city said they've received numerous reports of people taking advantage of the dumpsites by disposing of their material items.
Williams referenced a business that brought rotten chicken and unused oil to a dumpsite in the city's Logan neighborhood. He said the person was arrested and will be fined for the misconduct.
Residents were reminded again during the press conference not to place their garbage out for curbside pickup, as the service is temporarily suspended due to the DC 33 strike.
Streets clogged with frustration, trash
Morrell Park residents in Northeast Philly told CBS News Philadelphia that they've never seen the neighborhood look this bad, and the stench is overwhelming.
Non-unionized city workers who are still on the job are struggling to keep up with the overwhelming load of garbage.
This neighborhood trash drop-off site has become a local tourist attraction, with people coming to take pictures. It is one of 63 drop-off sites where residents can place trash on their designated collection day.
But we're seeing more than just household garbage.
Chopper 3 has spotted bathtubs, couches, mattresses and garbage cans.
Officials are now issuing a stern warning against contractors who are illegally dumping construction debris, making it harder for city crews to do their jobs. Anyone caught illegal dumping will be subject to a $5,000 fine. They can even take a picture of your license plate and seize your car.
City officials are urging residents to report illegal dumping by calling 311 or filling out a form , and they're promising enforcement.
But with the strike still ongoing and no deal in sight between the city and the union, residents say they're caught in the middle of this mess.
"It's not right. I feel like people are really taking advantage of this," a Philadelphia resident said. "Normally, our sanitation workers – they don't pick up furniture. They don't pick up sofas, sinks, counters, they don't pick up these items. So people are really taking advantage, and they're using this opportunity to dump everything out of their household."
After the dumpsite is cleared up, crews will use a hose to spray down the street, and then will use a deodorizer to keep the smell down.
Philadelphia strike negotiations recap
Both union leadership and the Parker administration met Saturday and failed to reach an agreement.
Mayor Cherelle Parker said the city's offer totals a 13% pay raise over four years and has called it historic. Boulware disagrees, saying the city is including a 5% raise from a separate extension deal last year.
The city's latest proposal includes a three-year contract, with basically a 3% wage increase in the next three years. The union wants 5% annual raises over the next three years.
When asked about the latest proposal on Monday, Williams said, "[The city] always stands ready to meet any time, in any place, to get this done as quickly as possibly."
"Let's sit down and try to make some meaningful progress so these men and women, who provide all the services across Philadelphia, can get back to doing what they do best – and serving Philly!" Boulware said as he joined striking union members on Monday.
The DC 33 president was also joined by the president of AFSCME, Lee Saunders, who represents 1.3 million members across the country, to stand in solidarity with the union members. Saunders said the strike has become bigger than the City of Brotherly Love; now, the eyes of the nation are on Philadelphia.
Boulware and union members said they're also frustrated that they haven't heard from the Parker administration regarding the two sanitation workers who were hit by a car while on the picket line last week.
On Monday morning, CBS News Philadelphia spoke with a climate group that delivered bags of trash from the Piccoli Playground in North Philly to City Hall. They are demanding that Parker meet the union's demands.
"This trash is piling up in our playgrounds and our parks and our rec centers. And they're creating hazardous conditions for children, for citizens who want to use our green spaces," Sultan Smalley, a member of Sunrise Movement Philadelphia, said. "She's stiffing workers, and it's not right, so we have to communicate that Philadelphians will not accept this any longer."
Philadelphia police said three activists connected to the group were arrested and charged with defiant trespassing after dumping trash from the playground inside City Hall.
