Trash Pickup to Resume in Philly

UPDATE Jul 9, 2025 6:53 AM CDT

Cherelle Parker has seen to the end of Philadelphia's so-called "Parker piles" of trash. Around 4am Wednesday, the mayor reached a deal with District Council 33 President Greg Boulware to end a municipal workers' strike that saw 9,000 trash collectors, street pavers, 911 dispatchers, and other employees walk off the job. They're to return to work immediately with a three-year contract including 3% annual raises, well below what Boulware had asked, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. Veteran union members will also see around a 2% raise under the deal, still to be ratified by union members.

Jul 7, 2025 2:28 PM CDT

Trash is starting to pile up in Philadelphia: A strike by the city's largest municipal workers' union entered its seventh day on Monday, reports CBS News. What's more, negotiations between the city and AFSCME District Council 33 stalled over the weekend, with no word on when they might resume, per the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The administration of Mayor Cherelle Parker is offering a three-year deal with raises that total 8.75% per the Inquirer. Parker, however, sees it as a 13% raise, factoring in a bump in the first year of her administration. Union president Greg Boulware says the union is seeking 5% annual raises over the next three years. Both sides say they've made compromises, but neither side sees much movement.

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Meanwhile, trash continues to accumulate. The city has set up dozens of temporary drop-off sites, but many are overflowing, with garbage spilling onto streets and sidewalks. Critics of the mayor have dubbed the growing mounds "ParkerPiles" on social media.