No end in sight for Philadelphia union workers on strike

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Workers with American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 33 remain on strike as city and union negotiators still seem unwilling to settle their disagreement over a pay increase. While both sides have agreed to keep talking, a deal to end the more than weeklong strike still appears far away.

DC33 President Greg Boulware said the union is offering a revised proposal to the city this time around.

“The city’s latest offer was received as a counter-proposal when we were trying to give them our counter-proposal on Saturday,” Boulware said. “Their proposal was exactly the same as it was the previous time we sat down with them. Line for line, verbatim, the exact same thing. They made no movement. They’re not negotiating in good faith.”

Boulware added that union workers want a settlement and do want to return to the job, but feel the city isn’t showing any signs of movement.

He said that the union would file an unfair labor practice accusation against the city.

“They’re not coming to the table and being honorable. They are offering exactly the same as what they’ve been doing,” he said. “We’ve modified and modified and modified our adjustment trying to actually meet with them in good faith and have some conversation, but it’s hard to have a conversation when somebody wants to drop a piece of paper in front of you and then walk out of the room for four hours at a time.”

The union has planned another rally for Wednesday afternoon at City Hall to further solidify support.

The union has also set up a strike fund and are soliciting cash donations to support striking workers and keep their families fed.

A local credit union is also offering discounted loans to city workers with 45 days before they have to be paid back. That could prolong the walkout, since the union members will be without their first paycheck starting Thursday.

In the meantime, the city is still trying to keep up with overflowing dumpsters and makeshift trash drop-off points.

Officials warn they will not accept people depositing trash on city streets, and anyone dumping things other than bagged trash, especially commercial waste, could face a $5,000 fine and, in some instances, potential impoundment of their vehicle.

With the sides settling back into talks, the city is not speaking publicly about their progress Tuesday, in hopes of giving negotiators a chance to hammer out a deal.

The city won a court order for eight emergency dispatchers at Philadelphia International Airport’s 311 system to return work starting Wednesday. They’re the latest workers being forced back on the job.

Last week, a judge granted an injunction ordering more than 200 workers at the city’s 911 call center back to work. A similar injunction was approved Thursday for workers in the Medical Examiner’s Office, which had experienced delays in picking up bodies of the deceased.