Philly Today: Are We Heading for a Garbage Strike?

Foreground: AFSCME District Council 33 called a garbage strike meeting this week. Background: The 1986 trash strike stunk, as illustrated by these Inquirer and Daily News headlines.

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Are We Heading for a Garbage Strike?

No, probably not. Nobody wants that. Right? Still, the city’s largest labor union has announced it will hold a “special general membership meeting” next week, and the subject of whether and when to go on strike will be put to a vote.

At the moment, AFSCME District Council 33 still hasn’t signed a new 2025 contract with the city, and there are several points of contention including raises, overtime, health plans, sick leave and more. The 33 includes the Sanitation Department, Water Department, Streets Department, etc.

“Prepare to Fight” reads one animated post on the union’s Facebook page. On Instagram, the 33 includes photos of trash piled up outside Veterans Stadium during the city’s last major municipal workers strike: “For those who lived through the 1986 strike, the images might bring back memories of uncollected garbage piling up on city streets, public services coming to a halt, and the palpable tension between workers and city officials. It was a time marked by hardship, negotiation, and eventually, resolution.”

Mayor Cherelle Parker and members of her cabinet are all currently participating in town halls to discuss the city’s proposed $6.7 billion budget plan. Getting that passed by City Council is likely vital to averting the strike. Mayor Parker’s “5-year financial and strategic plan” is posted here.

And now, for no reason:

By the Numbers

1:30 a.m.: A West Philly man was asleep in his bed when he was accidentally shot by a neighbor handling a rifle in the apartment below. The victim is in critical condition. And morale is presumably down throughout the building.

5 years: A former exec at a construction company who worked on 30th Street Station was sentenced to 5 years in prison for his role in bribing an Amtrak employee with vacations, luxury watches, a purebred German shepherd puppy, obedience school for the puppy, and more. “Quite sorry to bother you, sirs, but may I please exit the evidence locker now?” asks puppy.

#24: According to a new study, Pennsylvania is the 24th best state in the country for “aging in place.” Perfectly useless information, and yet it made you sad.

33 turtles: Woman rescues scores of turtles stranded by construction work in Reading. “Holy shit, I thought I was gonna fuckin’ die,” says turtle, who did not attend obedience school.

$32.95: The SEPTA summer fashion line is selling out fast. You might need to wait for the next run of Rail Map Beach Shorts, and even then you may think you bookmarked the right page, only to see it sail past you a block away due to a detour you didn’t know about, and then you have to stand in front of the A-Plus looking in two different directions at the same time for 10 to 30 minutes waiting for the next bus, and yes I’m talking about the 48. There’s a reason they don’t put bus routes on bathing suits.

White swim trunks? Are you insane? / photo from shop.septa.org.

600 apartments: TF Cornerstone, the New York-based development company that now owns the Wanamaker building, says it will turn the upper levels into luxury apartments. Each unit will be furnished with modern appliances, hardwood floors and, from time to time, a shuddering, ruddy-faced animatronic from the Dickens Village Christmas display. The characters have been cut off from their power source, but continue to move and talk, and are now said to have the run of the place.