PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A union representing thousands of city workers in Philadelphia and the city have reached a deal to end a more than weeklong strike that halted residential curbside trash pickup and affected other services, officials said Wednesday.
More than 9,000 blue-collar employees from District Council 33 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees walked off the job July 1, seeking better pay and benefits after negotiations with the city failed.
The tentative agreement gives workers a 3% raise in each of the next three years, far from the union's quest for 5% annual pay hikes. Half of the members will get an additional 2% raise through an added level on the pay scale, Mayor Cherelle Parker said, and most members will qualify by the end of the contract.
Residential trash collection will resume Monday, according to Parker, who asked for "grace" as pools, libraries, recreation centers and other services get back to normal.
"This is a very significant investment in our employees while at the same time ensuring that we as a city are living by our means," Parker said at a news conference.
District Council 33 is the largest of four major unions representing city workers. Its membership includes 911 dispatchers, trash collectors, water department workers and many others. Police and firefighters weren't part of the strike.
Parker said that over her four-year term, DC33 workers will have received a total pay bump of 14%, including a 5% one-year hike she gave all four unions after taking office last year.
Many residents seemed to support boosting the pay of DC33 workers, even as trash piled up in neighborhoods. The union says they earn an average $46,000 a year.
Union members must still ratify the agreement.
The settlement was announced early on the ninth day of the strike, a period that included the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Some of the 60 drop-off centers that the city had designated for residential trash were overflowing. Most libraries and some pools across the city were closed, and recreation centers operated on reduced hours.
Last week, judges had sided with the city in ordering some critical employees back to work at the city's 911 centers, water department and airport.
"We did the best we could with the circumstances we had in front of us," union President Greg Boulware told reporters in brief remarks Wednesday morning.
Here's the latest:
Thousands of city workers are walking the picket line as 4th of July celebrations get underway.
Action News reporter Bryanna Gallagher is along the Parkway, where people are beginning to gather for the festivities.
R&B artist Jazmine Sullivan, a Philadelphia native, is dropping out of the Wawa Welcome America concert because of the ongoing city workers' strike.
This comes just hours after LL Cool J also dropped out, saying he won't cross the picket line to perform.
The union, DC33, has been on strike since Tuesday. It represents thousands of the city's blue-collar workers.
In a statement posted to her Instagram story, Sullivan wrote:
"In this life we are only measured by how we uphold our morals and standards, by what we choose to fight for through participation or protest. Today I choose to not perform at the Wawa Welcome America concert and stand with Philly's DC33 until the city and union find a way to bring fair living wages to our working class. I love my city and I believe in you. Hopefully we will get to celebrate when things are better. -Jaz"
In a statement, Mayor Cherelle Parker said, "I respect Jazmine's decision, and understand her desire to see our City unified. I feel exactly the same - our mission every day is 'One Philly, a United City'. Jazmine, your hometown loves you!"
"The Party on the Parkway is ON for this evening!" Parker continued. "Come down and see JOJO, Alvaro Diaz, DJ Ghost and Friends, DJ Hollywood, and enjoy the food, the holiday atmosphere, and then all the Fireworks tonight!"
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker helped kick off July 4th festivities on Friday.
She was on hand for the Celebration of Freedom ceremony at Independence Hall.
During her speech, she recognized the ongoing strike by some 9,000 members of AFSCME District Council 33.
"This work stoppage, while it's not preferred, it is a right and I want to be absolutely clear about it, because I've had my share of time on picket lines, because I've been a long-term, unapologetic, pro-labor, pro-worker and pro-union public official my entire life," she said.
DC33 workers remained on the picket lines Friday.
There has been no word of any new talks between the two sides.
An alleged drunk driver is in custody after police said he left the scene after hitting two sanitation workers on the picket line in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia.
The hit-and-run happened just before 11:30 p.m. Thursday outside the sanitation center and drop-off site on N. Delaware Avenue, where workers are on strike, investigators said.
Police said the driver, a 40-year-old man, hit the workers who were sitting in chairs, and then continued down the sidewalk for about 100 feet before making a U-turn.
He passed by the scene and then turned onto Castor Avenue.
That's where officers found the SUV a few minutes later, about half a mile from the scene, with alcohol inside.
"In about two minutes' time after the accident, [officers] stopped the vehicle in the 3000 block of Castor Avenue and took the 40-year-old driver into custody and also a male passenger into custody," said Chief Inspector Scott Small. "But the 40-year-old driver of this striking vehicle appeared to be intoxicated."
"Inside the vehicle, we found some containers of alcohol. Some sealed, and some were open," Small added.
The victims include a 30-year-old woman who sources said is pregnant.
Police said she's stable and is being evaluated.
The other victim is a 36-year-old man who police said suffered serious injuries.
"Right now we're just hoping for the well-being of the male victim who was 36 years of age, who was struck by the Tahoe, because he's in very critical condition undergoing surgery," Small said.
Police said they spoke with other sanitation workers who witnessed the hit-and-run.
Investigators have not yet released the identity of the driver.
