A Trashy Fourth of July in Philadelphia
The city's District Council 33, an affiliate of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees representing some 9,000 workers, went on strike just after 12 a.m. Tuesday. Initially demanding an 8% pay raise for each of the next three years, along with benefit increases, the union had backed down Monday night to 5%, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. But Mayor Cherelle Parker's offer of a 2.75% raise, followed by two years of 3% hikes and on top of a 5% raise in the last contract, wasn't enough for the union.
The union chose to strike as soon as its previous contract expired, and the decision, well, is starting to stink. Members include garbage collectors, and trash is piling up as residents haul their refuse to select locations. 'Dumpsters that the city has set up as trash drop-off locations were overflowing with refuse Wednesday, with a notable stench infusing the muggy air,' the Inquirer reports. 'This is a nightmare,' resident Renee Dennis told an ABC affiliate.
Union members also include 911 dispatchers and water plant workers. A judge ordered these employees back to their posts Tuesday, but a city website warns 911 callers that they 'may still experience longer wait times.' The city solicitor said the medical examiner's office was 'critically understaffed,' and a judge also ordered those workers back Thursday. Better wait to have that heart attack.
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