Latest news with #AFSCMEDistrictCouncil33
Black America Web
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
LL Cool J Cancels Philly Show In Support of Striking City Workers
Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty Rapper LL Cool J is taking a stand and showing support to striking city workers in Philadelphia. The Queens rapper took to his personal Instagram account Thursday night and announced he would not be appearing at the city's 4th of July celebration concert Friday. 'I never ever want to disappoint my fans, and especially in Philadelphia. Ya'll mean too much to me, but there's absolutely no way that I could perform, cross a picking line and pick up money when I know that people are out there fighting for a living wage,' he said in the video. AFSCME District Council 33, which consists of 9,000 city employees and is Philadelphia's largest city workers' union, walked off the job for the first time in 39 years Tuesday. The union is seeking an 8 percent pay increase every year over a four-year timeframe and healthcare benefits for all employees. The union praised the rapper for standing in solidarity with workers via a post on Instagram. Mayor Cherelle Parker posted a video on social media saying the city offered the union a 12 percent pay increase over the course of her term and that healthcare benefits would not be taken from the workers. Parker took office in 2024 and is up for reelection in 2028, so that works out to about a 4 percent raise per year, half of what the union is asking for. 'District Council 33's members contribute as much blood, sweat, and tears as does anyone else,' the union's demand letter reads. 'We all make the city work. Our contract must reflect that reality.' District Council 33 represents a wide range of city workers from trash collectors, sanitation workers, and 911 dispatchers, to crossing guards at public schools. As a result of the Philadelphia strike, the city's trash collection will be operating on a 'modified capacity,' according to Parker. 'There will be no residential trash collection or recycling effective Tuesday, July 1. We encourage residents, and we ask you to please refrain from placing any trash or recycling out for curbside collection until further notice,' Parker said in her video. City leadership is in the process of establishing 63 temporary trash drop-off locations throughout Philadelphia. The locations will open at 5 p.m. on Tuesday and will be open from 6 a.m. through 10 p.m., though they will be closed for the Fourth of July holiday. The city has also asked people not to bring any loose trash to the drop-off sites and to only bring up to 8 bags of trash at a time. A list of available drop-off sites is available on the sanitation department's website. Beyond sanitation, the Philadelphia strike could result in delays in 911 calls. To address the shortage, the city will move 200 officers into the 911 call centers, though they've warned the strike may result in delays of 911 calls being answered. The city has urged callers not to hang up as the calls will eventually be answered. You know, I don't know the inner workings of Philadelphia's budgeting, but for the safety of everyone, I hope they can give the city workers their money sooner rather than later. While they've reached an impasse, Parker affirmed the city's commitment to negotiating a contract that would hopefully bring the Philadelphia strike to a swift end. 'The City of Philadelphia remains committed to reaching a fair and fiscally responsible contract with our municipal workers who are a part of DC 33,' Parker said in a statement addressing the strike. 'We are ready, willing, and able to resume negotiations with the union at their convenience.' Interestingly enough, the Philadelphia strike is not the only one happening right as trash collectors in Massachusetts are striking for a similar reason. The Teamsters Local 25 have said Republic Services, the company they're employed through, has 'refused to give workers a fair deal, pushing them to the picket line.' Republic is currently involved in several labor disputes with Teamsters unions across the country, which could result in trash collection being impacted nationwide. If anything, both the Massachusetts and Philadelphia strikes show why city workers are so important and deserve a living wage. They literally keep the city running and do the unglamorous work that often doesn't get celebrated. At the end of the day, someone has to pick up the trash. Just because it's not considered a 'dream job' doesn't mean it's one without value. SEE ALSO: Black-Led Unions That Advanced Workers' Rights How Labor Unions Factor In The 2024 Election SEE ALSO LL Cool J Cancels Philly Show In Support of Striking City Workers was originally published on
CBS News
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
LL Cool J says he won't perform at Wawa Welcome America until Philadelphia strike ends
LL Cool J won't perform in the Wawa Welcome America Fourth of July Concert on Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Friday, saying he won't "cross a picket line" amid the ongoing strike in Philadelphia involving the city's largest municipal workers' union. "Yo, so, I understand there's a lot going on in Philadelphia right now, and I never, ever, ever want to disappoint my fans, especially Philadelphia, y'all mean too much to me," LL Cool J said in a post on Instagram on Thursday night. "But there's absolutely no way that I can perform, cross a picket line, and pick up money when I know that people are out there fighting for a living wage. I'm not doing that, you know what I'm saying? I've been coming to Philly my whole life, you know? I have respect for the city, you know what I'm saying? Of course, I hope, I hope, I hope that the mayor and the city can make a deal, I hope it works out. I'm still going to come to Philly in case it works out. I'm going to be in town, ya'll. I'm just letting you know, I'm not going to cross a picket line and perform for money when people are hurt. That's it, so I love y'all. I'm on my way to Philly. Peace and love." LL Cool J is a headliner for the annual event along the Parkway with Philadelphia native Jazmine Sullivan. LL Cool J announced he wouldn't be performing at Wawa Welcome America as Philadelphia's largest blue-collar union, AFSCME District Council 33, has been on strike for three days. The union represents trash collectors, police dispatchers and more. Union leaders are fighting for higher wages as well as health care benefits for all members. CBS News Philadelphia has reached out to Mayor Cherelle Parker's office for comment, but we've yet to hear back. This is a developing story and will be updated.
Axios
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Philly trash strike could evolve into political mess for mayor
The garbage strike has the potential to be a political stinker for Mayor Cherelle Parker. Why it matters: Bags of trash are piling up in residential neighborhoods across the city — an optics mess for an elected official who promised to make Philly "safer, cleaner, greener." State of play: The Parker administration is at an impasse with AFSCME District Council 33 (DC33) over salary increases and other benefits in a new contract for the union's more than 9,000 members. This weekend's Fourth of July celebrations, including the Wawa Welcome America festival, will test the Parker administration's mettle. The latest: City officials offered to return to the negotiations table Thursday, but the union declined to do so, Parker said at a news conference. "The city of Philadelphia cannot negotiate with itself." Catch up quick: The administration has obtained a court order requiring scores of essential city workers to return to work. The city has set up dozens of trash drop-off locations throughout Philly. Even so, residents have complained they're still dealing with overflowing heaps of garbage. Flashback: Philly's last major trash strike came nearly four decades ago. After almost three weeks, 45,000 tons of "stinking, maggot-laced garbage" had piled up at neighborhood disposal sites, per the Inquirer. What we're hearing: That's not a bullet point any first-term mayor wants to have on their résumé, community and political observers say. The other side: In a Facebook post on Thursday, Parker defended the city's offer to the union as one that includes the "largest one-year raise for DC 33" in more than three decades. "This isn't just about pay," she wrote. "It's about respect. It's about building a future where our city's frontline workers thrive." Between the lines: Community activist Terrill Haigler, aka Ya Fav Trashman, tells Axios his inbox has been flooded with complaints about private companies looking to capitalize on the crisis. Haigler, who runs a nonprofit, says he's also offering trash pickup but keeping his prices to $15 a house. About 100 residents have taken advantage, and dozens more are scheduled. "This is really bad timing," he says. The state Attorney General's Office hasn't received any complaints about price gouging. What they're saying: The longer a strike like this goes on in a pro-labor city like Philly, former radio host and city resident Tonya Pendleton tells Axios, the greater the potential to alienate blue-collar voters. "As the temperatures increase, so does the pressure," she says. "You never pay attention to essential services until you don't have them." Political analyst Larry Ceisler says Parker has done a better job sharing her message with the public than union leaders have, which will help her gain more understanding from disgruntled constituents, Ceisler tells Axios.
Int'l Business Times
03-07-2025
- General
- Int'l Business Times
WATCH: Piles of Trash Bags, Overflowing Dumpsters Lining Philadelphia Roads Stun Locals as Sanitation Workers Strike
Garbage is spilling into Philadelphia streets as sanitation workers enter their fourth day on strike, leaving residents stunned by scenes of overflowing dumpsters and trash bags piled high. The strike, led by AFSCME District Council 33, began earlier this week after contract negotiations with Mayor Cherelle Parker's administration broke down, CBS Philadelphia reported. Representing about 9,000 essential workers—including trash collectors, 911 operators, and Water Department staff, DC 33 is demanding better wages and full healthcare coverage. The city has offered what it calls a historic proposal: a 13% pay bump over four years, or roughly 3.25% annually. Union leaders say that is not nearly enough, especially for lower-wage workers earning around $40,000 a year. As talks remain stalled and no new meeting scheduled, trash is visibly piling up across the city. Viral TikTok videos have captured block-long piles of garbage and stuffed dumpsters, with commenters rallying behind the workers. "You gotta be f***ing kidding me. This s*** is nasty," one resident said in a TikTok that has since amassed more than 1.9 million views. @selfxmade3 Only in Philly ♬ original sound - SelfMade "Philly gonna find out how important sanitation workers are," one user commented. "They timed this perfectly." Another added, "The mayor is destroying Philly. She needs to go." The city has paused curbside pickup and set up 63 temporary drop-off sites for residents to dispose of waste, but the effort has so far done little to relieve the mounting debris. Whether the pressure from viral outrage and legal action brings either side back to the table remains to be seen. As of Thursday afternoon, no resolution is in sight and trash continues visibly piling up in neighborhoods across the city. Originally published on Latin Times
Indianapolis Star
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Trash lines the streets of Philly as city workers strike: See photos
Trash is piling up across the streets of Philadelphia after thousands of city workers went on strike. "Our City is currently facing a work stoppage related to ongoing AFSCME District Council 33 (DC33) contract negotiations," a Facebook post on the city's official government page said. "This situation is important, and immediately impacts some essential City services." While police and firefighters are not on strike, many of the city's blue-collar workers, such as trash collectors, are, according to Reuters. Since the strike began, the city has closed some libraries and city pools and shortened hours at recreation centers. The city has also suspended residential trash collection, but a Sanitation Convenience Center is open daily for residents to drop off materials during the strike, according to the Philadelphia Department of Sanitation. Centers will be closed for Independence Day. Photos and video captured the trash piling up on city streets amid the strike. Labor unions are now suing the city's mayor, Cherelle Parker, after her effort to order employees to return to their office five days a week starting in July without bargaining, according to Reuters. "The city's decision to seek a court injunction to compel workers back to their jobs underscores the significant value and expertise that our members bring to the table," American Federation State County Municipal Employees Philadelphia District Council 33, which represents many of the city's blue-collar workers, stated in a Facebook post. "This action highlights the indispensable role that our workforce plays in maintaining the smooth operation and essential functions of the city." USA TODAY has contacted District Council 33 for more information. Contributing: Reuters
