AFSCME District Council 33’s 9,000 Philadelphia Workers Strike Over Pay; Mayor Parker’s 12% Raise Offer Rejected, Judge Orders 911 Dispatchers Back

Philadelphia's largest municipal workers union, AFSCME District Council 33, representing approximately 9,000 city employees including sanitation workers, 911 dispatchers, and water department staff, initiated a strike at midnight on July 1, 2025, after contract negotiations with Mayor Cherelle Parker's administration failed. The union sought better wages, job security, and improved health benefits, with members earning an average salary of $46,000. Mayor Parker had proposed a pay raise exceeding 12% over one term, the largest offer to the union in over 30 years, but talks broke down after nearly 12 hours of negotiations with no agreement. The strike, the first major city worker strike in Philadelphia since 1986, has disrupted essential city services including trash collection, public pool maintenance, and 911 call operations.

In response, the city established 63 temporary trash drop-off sites across Philadelphia to manage accumulating waste, which has caused concern among residents as garbage piles up. A Philadelphia judge ordered over 200 911 dispatchers and some medical examiner office employees to return to work amid public safety concerns. Negotiations resumed multiple times during the strike but had not produced a resolution as of July 6. The strike has drawn attention to the disparity between the average union worker salary and Mayor Parker's $269,708 salary. The city continues to prepare contingency plans while urging residents for patience as the strike persists through the Independence Day holiday weekend.