Strike Ends After District Council 33, Philly Officials Reach Tentative Agreement

PHILADELPHIA — Striking members of Philadelphia's largest blue collar union are heading back to work.

City officials Wednesday morning said a tentative agreement has been reached between AFSCME District Council 33 and the city, ending the week-long strike.

The agreement still has to be ratified by the union's roughly 9,000 members, which includes sanitation workers, Street Department repairs and maintenance crews, emergency dispatchers, Department of Revenue workers, and more.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the agreement features a three-year contract with 3 percent raises each year, as well as the creation of a fifth step in the union pay scale.

District Council 33 president Greg Boulware said the union is unhappy with the deal, saying members should be able to earn a living for themselves and their families, Action News reports.

Union members are expected to be back on the job Wednesday, according to NBC10.

Officials at a news conference Wednesday said normal trash and recycling collections will resume Monday. In the meantime, the city will be shutting down the trash drop-off sites set up throughout the city and residents are being told to take refuse and recycling to any of the city's sanitation convenience centers.