Philly strike: City grapples with mounds of trash as District Council 33 strike continues
DC 33 Strike Day 7 recap: Illegal trash dumping continues
Trash is still a major problem as the city reaches say seven of the District Council 33 strike.
PHILADELPHIA - Mounds of trash continued to overwhelm streets in Philadelphia on Monday as contract talks between the city and District Council 33 remain at a standstill.
As of midday Monday, the two sides had no plans to reconvene on contract negotiations that began when union members went on strike last Tuesday.
Since then, neither side seems to have budged on their demands.
Mayor Parker has continued to tout the city's latest offer, which she calls "historic" and "fiscally responsible."
What we know:
City workers used backhoes on Monday to chip away at mounds of trash that piled up over the Fourth of July weekend at dumping sites across the city.
With one of Philadelphia's most popular holidays behind us, the two sides appear no closer to finding a solution that would get the city's largest union back to work.
District Council 33 Strike Day 7: City provides update on trash woes
The City of Philadelphia provided an update on how the temporary trash sites should work for residents amid the District Council 33 strike. Meanwhile, Philadelphians are fed up with the growing piles of trash.
Before Independence Day, Parker continued to champion the city's offer to District Council 33 during a press conference on the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum.
She claims the city's offer that raises wages by more than 13% is the largest increase a Philadelphia mayor in their first term has extended to District Council 33 in over 30 years. It's a larger increase over 4 years for municipal blue-collar union workers, than recent agreements in New York, Washington D.C., Washington, and Phoenix.
"The City of Philadelphia put its best offer on the table, and unfortunately, District Council 33 did not accept it," Parker said on Thursday. "The City of Philadelphia offered to return to the table today and the union did not accept that offer."
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Included in the city's offer is also a fifth-tier pay scale for District Council 33 and an opportunity for union members to take part in the city's $2B housing plan.
"We want our DC 33 colleagues working alongside us now, as soon as possible," Philadelphia Managing Director Adam Theil said. "The proposal – the fair and fiscally responsible proposal that's on the table – will pay DC 33 employees more."
That offer was not enough to entice District Council 33 members, who Mayor Parker said refused to return to the negotiating table on Thursday.
"The City of Philadelphia can not negotiate with itself," Parker said.