What to know about District Council 33, the Philly city union that authorized a strike

Philadelphia’s largest union for city workers, AFSCME District Council 33, voted Thursday to authorize a strike, and public services could be affected if leadership directs employees to walk off their jobs.

The union represents more than 9,000 blue-collar employees, from sanitation workers to school crossing guards.

Its leaders are in a standoff with City Hall over its recently expired contract; District Council 33 wants a new, multiyear contract that includes pay increases, lucrative pension plans, and a relaxation of the city’s residency requirement for employment.

The city, in turn, offered a one-year deal with a modest raise that is largely seen as an extension of the union’s old contract.

The gridlock spurred the union to call on members to vote on whether to call a strike, a process that began Nov. 7 and ended Wednesday evening; roughly 3,400 members participated, and 87% voted to approve a strike.

But whether workers actually walk out depends on union leadership, who have yet to make that call. DC33 president Greg Boulware said the union would not strike immediately, but could do so if it cannot reach an agreement with Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s office.

» READ MORE: DC33 city workers agree to strike if they don’t get a contract

Here’s a quick guide to the union and which services could be affected.

District Council 33 is Philadelphia’s local chapter of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees union, which represents public service workers across the country.

Its membership includes employees in the city’s prisons, water department, streets and sanitation divisions, public housing authority, airport, and parking agency, along with crossing guards and other workers.

Members hold a variety of roles, from correctional officers and trash collectors to staff at the Free Library and Health Department, as well as police dispatchers, water treatment plant operators, and more.

DC33 members typically make $40,000 to $45,000 per year, according to a union spokesperson.

A spokesperson for DC33 said its members would stop providing their services during a strike.

It’s tough to predict the full impact, but that could lead to lagging 911 call response times, and trash left uncollected in residential neighborhoods.

However, prison workers would not walk off the job even if a strike moves forward, a union spokesperson said.

DC33 submitted a 17-page proposal to Parker’s administration earlier this year pushing for a four-year contract that would expire in 2028.

The union’s previous deal, struck under former Mayor Jim Kenney, expired at the end of June.

The new proposal asks for wage increases that would amount to an 8% raise each year of the contract‘s duration, as well as cost-of-living increases each year that correlate to the changes in the economy.

The union is also seeking compensation for staff who worked through the COVID-19 pandemic; that includes a one-time payment of $5,000 for those who worked in person and $2,500 for hybrid staff.

Another major component calls for changes to the city’s residency requirements for employees. If successful, DC33 workers with more than five years of experience would be permitted to live outside Philadelphia city limits, but still within Pennsylvania.

And the union is also asking for more holidays, including two Muslim holidays as well as Election Day, and requesting that the city designate some staff as essential workers, a status that would come with further pay increases.

The proposal also requests upgrades to the union’s health-care plan and sick leave.

Parker’s administration offered DC33 a short-term contract, similar to what it has offered the three other major municipal unions representing police officers, firefighters, and white-collar workers.

The deal comes with a one-time bonus and a 4.4% raise, which DC33 representatives say would amount to around $50 more per pay period.

The union is wary about entering a one-year agreement, given the possibility of an economic downturn that could affect the city’s finances and make negotiations more precarious in the future. A multiyear deal could offer more security.

While the city‘s finances are relatively strong, short-term contacts became the norm during the pandemic as Kenney’s administration navigated the ensuing financial pressures.