Piles of garbage continue to line the streets of Philadelphia, a visible reminder of the ongoing standoff between the city and District Council 33, the city’s largest municipal workers’ union.
The strike began last week, and with no resolution to the contract in sight, the stalemate is affecting daily life across the city.
Trash collection has slowed to a crawl, even as city crews resort to backhoes to tackle mounds of waste that accumulated over the long Fourth of July weekend.
At the heart of the dispute is the city’s latest offer, which Mayor Cherelle Parker has called both “historic” and “fiscally responsible.”
The proposed contract includes a 13% wage increase over four years—reportedly the largest for blue-collar workers in Philadelphia in over three decades.
City officials say the offer outpaces recent union deals in New York, D.C., and Phoenix.
But union leadership has rejected the offer, which also includes a new fifth-tier pay scale and access to job opportunities tied to the city’s $2 billion housing initiative.
As the standoff drags on, residents are left navigating sidewalks crowded with trash bags and debris, with no clear end in sight.
