The largest union of Philadelphia municipal workers has agreed to a one-year contract extension with the city, which includes a pay raise and other benefits, averting an authorized strike.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) District Council 33, which represents over 8,400 employees, was without a contract since the end of June. The agreement with the city includes a 5% salary increase and a one-time bonus of $1,400.
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According to the office of Mayor Cherelle Parker, the contract will be for fiscal year 2025 and the pay increase is the largest for the union in the last 30 years.
"There will be no work stoppage in the City of Philadelphia," Parker said in a statement. "This is tremendous news we can all feel very good about – for our city, for the City workers who are represented by District Council 33, and for this Administration."
District Council 33 includes employees for the streets, sanitation and water departments, along with police dispatchers and workers in other agencies. The union had authorized a strike on Nov. 14, with 87% voting in favor.
Said union president Greg Boulware at a Friday press conference: "We signed off on a one-year extension with the city of Philadelphia that provided our members with a raise that would help raise the quality of life for our people, and insist a stepping stone into the direction that we would like to see our membership be in."
Both the city and the union will be back at the negotiating table in January to hammer out a multi-year deal.
Earlier this week, SEPTA reached an agreement with Transportation Workers Union Local 234, preventing another authorized strike. Local 234 and District Council 33 had been in talks to synchronize work stoppages.
