Updated as of July 1, 2025 at 5:50 a.m.
One of Philadelphia’s biggest labor unions is on strike as of 12:01 a.m. July 1. This means that some of the city’s most vital services could be crippled or completely shut down.
District Council 33 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) represents 9,000 city employees ranging from 911 dispatchers to water department employees to school crossing guards.
On Monday, June 16, District Council 33 (DC 33) voted on whether to authorize a strike, and 95% of the unionized workers who voted said yes. With a deal not reached by Tuesday, July 1, up to 9,000 city employees are now on strike.
What would be affected
AFSCME represents workers in the public service sector, so a strike would impact utility, sanitation and government services.
According to a Facebook post by the group, the services listed below are just some of what could be stopped or limited:
- No trash or recyclable collection during the 4th of July weekend.
- No access to trained 911 police and fire dispatchers, which will cause an increase in busy lines and wait times.
- There will be a citywide shutdown of health centers.
- Maintenance for bathrooms, runways and airfields at Philadelphia International Airport will halt.
- There won’t be access to the city’s Water Department’s repairs and services.
- There won’t be school crossing guards for children going to summer school.
- There’s more. You can see a full list of the departments and workers who are unionized under DC 33 at the bottom of this article. Many of those departments could strike, meaning delays and service cuts.
How we got here
This past November, a similar situation arose, where DC 33 authorized a strike. The looming threat was used to push for a new, favorable one-year deal for the union.
As CBS3 reported, the deal included a 5% raise, a $1,400 bonus and other benefits. This deal was for fiscal year 2025, which ends June 30.
According to a statement by the Mayor’s Office, this was the largest raise for a union in 30 years, as reported by NBC10.
But, without a long-term deal, the Mayor’s Office and the union returned to the negotiating table in January 2025.
Mayor Cherelle Parker unveiled a new, multiyear contract proposal for the union. DC 33 and Parker entered into negotiations, which have not yet led to a new contract.
The disputes came from a number of differences between Parker’s proposal and DC 33’s demands. The issues include pay and changes to the Health and Welfare plan, and haven’t been bridged yet.
What happens next? Will there be a strike?
The preferred option, of course, is that Parker and DC 33 strike a multiyear deal that satisfies both sides.
However, another stopgap deal, like the one that is set to expire July 1, could also be struck. This would be temporary, compared to Parker’s proposed 5-year plan and DC 33’s desire for a 3-year contract.
Another possibility is ending the strike without a new contract in place. That happened in 1986.
What happened the last time DC33 striked?
The last major strike by DC 33 occurred in 1986. It was known as “the garbage strike.”
The union’s effort to win a new contract lasted 20 days. According to The New York Times, it earned its name due to “45,000 tons of garbage that had accumulated in the strike.”
No new deal was reached. The strike ended when union members voted to return.
DC33 is in which departments?
Below you can find a list of department’s and employees that are represented by DC33, according to its website. These operations will likely have longer wait times, fewer services or be completely shut down if a strike were to go into effect.
- Local 159 – Prisons
- Local 222 – Department of Recreation
- Local 394 – Water Department
- Local 403 – Highway Division / Streets
- Local 427 – Department of Sanitation / Streets
- Local 447 – Easton
- Local 488 – Department of Health
- Local 696 – Department of Finance
- Local 934 – Philadelphia Housing Authority
- Local 1510 – Philadelphia International Airport
- Local 1637 – Parking Authority / Police Radio
- Local 1881 – Easton
- Local 1927 – Fleet Management
- Local 1956 – School Crossing Guards
- Local 1971
(Editor’s Note: Nate Harrington’s WHYY News internship has been made possible thanks to the generous support from the Dow Jones News Fund O’Toole Family Foundation Internship.)
