DC33 members approve new contract deal with City of Philadelphia after week-long strike

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- District Council 33 announced on Monday that union members ratified their new contract agreement.

The new agreement was approved by 1,535 members out of 2,375 votes cast. About 838 members voted no.

This comes after a week-long strike left trash piling up across the city.

Some residents in West Philadelphia along South 59th Street say some piles have yet to be picked up.

The 9,000 members spent all of last week casting their votes in person on whether to approve the tentative contract.

The union president, who initially expressed disappointment in the deal, later encouraged members to vote "yes" to ratify it and make it official.

"We come from a place of less strength than we initially started with," said DC 33 President Greg Boulware. "We got as much as we could possibly get out of the city."

The union's first strike in 39 years began on July 1 and lasted eight days.

Francis Ryan is a professor at Rutgers University's School of Management and Labor Relations in New Brunswick, teaching labor studies. He explained what the lack of votes could mean:

"I think it's an indication people are unhappy with what's in that package. I think in some ways not showing up is a protest vote," said Ryan.

Ryan also thinks other unions currently negotiating with the city paid close attention, especially to how everyday citizens rallied around DC 33's members during the strike.

"City workers had a lot of support for ordinary citizens," said Ryan.

He added that other unions "may look to the kind of social media that happened with DC 33 reaching out to the public and may try to do similar things."

Members who come from a number of departments, including sanitation and 911 dispatch, walked off the job.

Union officials say on average they earn $46,000 a year.

Under the new agreement, they'll receive a 3% raise each year for three years, with a $1,500 bonus the first year.

Right now, the mayor's office is juggling multiple negotiations with other unions and has reached deals with some of them.

Mayor Cherelle Parker has said part of her goal is to watch the budget.