DC 33, city to resume negotiations Tuesday as Philadelphia strike continues

PHILADELPHIA Pennsylvania KYW Negotiations are set to continue Tuesday between AFSCME District Council and Philadelphia city leaders union president Greg Boulware mentioned It s still unclear where and when the negotiations will take place on Day of the Philadelphia strike One week into Philadelphia s largest municipal workers union strike and both sides remain dug in DC is fighting for higher wages and strength care benefits for all its members The union represents nearly blue-collar city workers and is the largest blue-collar workers union in the city Members of DC work within the sanitation and water departments as well as in roles including dispatchers spanning guards morgue employees airport staff and more But it s not just DC union workers and city leaders who are frustrated Philly residents are frustrated as trash continues to pile up across the city s neighborhoods During a press conference Monday Carlton Williams the city s director of Clean and Green Initiatives explained the city is working to provide more services at the sanitation convenience centers by clearing the garbage piles that have accumulated around the sites Williams noted the city is working to expand the centers and implement more staff after hearing complaints from residents about overflowing dumpsters and people placing trash around the sites Residents are appealed to use the dumpsters when they re open and not put trash outside the facilities because it slows down the collection process Williams noted When bags are placed outside the dumpsters they cause major delays and additional complications he revealed Williams emphasized that these centers are not a free pass for illegal dumping adding that they are a temporary key for Philadelphia residents to dispose of their trash The city disclosed they ve received numerous reports of people taking advantage of the dumpsites by disposing of their material items Williams referenced a business that brought rotten chicken and unused oil to a dumpsite in the city s Logan neighborhood He reported the person was arrested and will be fined for the misconduct Residents were reminded again during the press conference not to place their garbage out for curbside pickup as the provision is temporarily suspended due to the DC strike Streets clogged with frustration trash Morrell Park residents in Northeast Philly reported CBS News Philadelphia that they ve never seen the neighborhood look this bad and the stench is overwhelming Non-unionized city workers who are still on the job are struggling to keep up with the overwhelming load of garbage This neighborhood trash drop-off site has become a local tourist attraction with people coming to take pictures It is one of drop-off sites where residents can place trash on their designated collection day But we re seeing more than just household garbage Chopper has spotted bathtubs couches mattresses and garbage cans Bureaucrats are now issuing a stern warning against contractors who are illegally dumping construction debris making it harder for city crews to do their jobs Anyone caught illegal dumping will be subject to a fine They can even take a picture of your license plate and seize your car City functionaries are urging residents to summary illegal dumping by calling or filling out a form online and they re promising enforcement But with the strike still ongoing and no deal in sight between the city and the union residents say they re caught in the middle of this mess It s not right I feel like people are really taking advantage of this a Philadelphia resident announced Normally our sanitation workers they don t pick up furniture They don t pick up sofas sinks counters they don t pick up these items So people are really taking advantage and they re using this opportunity to dump everything out of their household After the dumpsite is cleared up crews will use a hose to spray down the street and then will use a deodorizer to keep the smell down Philadelphia strike negotiations recap Both union leadership and the Parker administration met Saturday and failed to reach an agreement Mayor Cherelle Parker mentioned the city s offer totals a pay raise over four years and has called it historic Boulware disagrees saying the city is including a raise from a separate extension deal last year The city s latest proposal includes a three-year contract with basically a wage increase in the next three years The union wants annual raises over the next three years When inquired about the latest proposal on Monday Williams announced The city reliably stands ready to meet any time in any place to get this done as hastily as possibly Let s sit down and try to make selected meaningful progress so these men and women who provide all the services across Philadelphia can get back to doing what they do best and serving Philly Boulware declared as he joined striking union members on Monday The DC president was also joined by the president of AFSCME Lee Saunders who represents million members across the country to stand in solidarity with the union members Saunders disclosed the strike has become bigger than the City of Brotherly Love now the eyes of the nation are on Philadelphia Boulware and union members noted they re also frustrated that they haven t heard from the Parker administration regarding the two sanitation workers who were hit by a car while on the picket line last week On Monday morning CBS News Philadelphia spoke with a environment group that delivered bags of trash from the Piccoli Playground in North Philly to City Hall They are demanding that Parker meet the union s demands This trash is piling up in our playgrounds and our parks and our rec centers And they re creating hazardous conditions for children for citizens who want to use our green spaces Sultan Smalley a member of Sunrise Movement Philadelphia announced She s stiffing workers and it s not right so we have to communicate that Philadelphians will not accept this any longer Philadelphia police disclosed three activists connected to the group were arrested and charged with defiant trespassing after dumping trash from the playground inside City Hall