Philadelphia strike negotiations between DC 33, city officials resume on Day 8
Philadelphia's striking AFSCME District Council 33 union returned to the negotiating table with city officials on Tuesday afternoon, the eighth day of their ongoing strike for higher pay and health care benefits for all members.
The union walked off the job at 12:01 a.m. July 1, seeking a better offer with pay increases of 8% per year over each year of a contract. They've since brought their demand down to 5% a year, though the administration has not budged from offering 2.75%, 3% and 3% increases over the course of a three-year deal.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker has repeatedly touted a 5% raise the union was given in the first year of her administration and stated the deal is a "13% increase."
In Tuesday's negotiations, DC 33 is coming to the table presenting an offer, according to the union. Talks began at 2 p.m. at the Community College of Philadelphia's campus in West Philly. It's the first time the two parties have sat down since Saturday.
In a statement on Tuesday night, Parker said she would not "jeopardize Philadelphia's future" in order to end the strike.
"We respect our workers' rights, and we understand residents' frustrations," Parker said in the statement. "Our team is working around the clock to negotiate in good faith while ensuring public safety. I will not jeopardize Philadelphia's future to make an expedient decision. We will continue pushing for a solution that protects our city and the people who keep it running. This is Philly. One Philly. We've been through tough times before—we'll get through this too."
Trash builds up in several Philadelphia neighborhoods during strike
DC 33's workforce includes dispatchers, the Department of Sanitation, the Medical Examiner's Office and several other departments. Weekly door-to-door trash pickup has been halted in the city, with collectors in the Sanitation department walking off due to the strike.
To take in residents' waste, the and told residents to drop their trash there on their designated trash day. However, many of the sites have become overrun with trash, with piles of bags and even bulk items sitting alongside the dumpsters at those sites.
One site near Red Lion and Calera roads in Northeast Philadelphia has dumpsters and piles of trash stretching down one side of an entire block.
Early Tuesday morning, multiple front-end loaders were seen picking up the piles of trash in the street and loading the garbage into the dumpsters, and the block appeared clear by the early afternoon.
More workers court-ordered to return to work
Eight emergency dispatchers at Philadelphia International Airport were just ordered to return to work by a city judge Tuesday. Members of the city's Law Department were in court seeking an injunction barring those dispatchers from taking part in the work stoppage.
Those employees, members of DC 33, have been ordered to return to work by 12 a.m. Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Law Department said.
DC 33 President Greg Boulware claims the city's approach to negotiations has been one-sided and says the union has filed an unfair labor practice complaint. City officials dispute that claim.
"Today is another day. I am hopeful we get in this room and make some progress to get this CBA resolved and our men and women back to work," Boulware said before Tuesday's negotiations began. "As I've been saying about all the injunctions. They just prove how important and vital our men and women are, and that's why we try to advocate that they are so vital and for the wages they deserve."
CBS News Philadelphia has reached out to the city for comment and have not heard back.
This is not the first time members of DC 33 were ordered to return to work. Last week, a judge granted a city request to order 31 striking Medical Examiner's Office employees to return to work.
After just one day, 911 dispatchers were ordered back to work as their services were deemed critical to the city's safety.
About 70 Philadelphia Water Department employees were also ordered to return to work via injunction. A judge also granted an injunction compelling the union to stop picketing that was deemed disruptive to services.
