Catherwood LibraryILR School

After more than a week of stalled trash pickup, pool closures, and high-stakes negotiations, Philadelphia’s largest municipal union has reached a tentative deal with the city, bringing an end to the citywide labor strike. The agreement between AFSCME District Council 33 and Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration includes a $1,500 bonus and a 9% raise over three years—less than the union’s original ask, but still hailed as a major win for city workers. Roughly 9,000 employees across sanitation, airport maintenance, libraries, and other departments are returning to work, with trash collection set to resume Monday. Pools that had been drained due to the strike are also in the process of reopening. Union members still need to ratify the contract before it's final.