Regular trash collection in Philadelphia will return to normal service on Monday as the city welcomes back sanitation crews and other municipal workers who ended their strike with a tentative contract reached Wednesday morning, city officials said.
Mayor Cherelle Parker and members of her administration outlined the city's transition plan to restore full capacity during a news conference detailing their pact with American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 33. Union leaders still need to ratify the contract.
MORE: Mayor Parker, city workers union reach tentative deal, ending strike
"I want to say to our residents, please give us a moment of grace as our hardworking employees and members of District Council 33 return to their jobs," Parker said. "We'll get every city service that they provide staffed up and working just as soon as it is humanly possible. This is going to take some transition."
Effective immediately, city residents are asked to stop bringing their trash to the more than 60 temporary drop-off sites that were established at locations in neighborhoods across Philadelphia. Instead, trash can either be held until pickup day next week or brought to one of the city's six sanitation convenience centers. They will be open between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. until Friday, and then from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, at the following locations:
•Northeast Philadelphia - 8401 State Road
•Northwest Philadelphia - 320 Domino Lane
•Port Richmond - 3901 Delaware Ave.
•Southwest Philadelphia - 3033 S. 63rd St.
•Strawberry Mansion - 2601 Glenwood Ave.
•West Philadelphia - 5100 Grays Ave.
The city plans to begin extensive cleanups at the drop-off sites where trash had overflowed from dumpsters and piled up daily during the work stoppage, leaving behind litter and strong odors.
"We will have around-the-clock staff with compactors and city forces to make sure that any trash that's brought to the locations is properly removed immediately," Carlton Williams, director of the city's Office of Clean and Green Initiatives, said at Wednesday's news conference.
Williams said the city will have no tolerance for ongoing illegal dumping at the temporary pick-up sites. Cameras will be set up at all locations and violators will be subject to $5,000 fines per item, in addition to possible confiscation of trucks by the Philadelphia Parking Authority.
Residents are advised to call 311 to report any trash or debris that has been dumped at unauthorized locations.
The roughly 9,000 members of DC 33 also include library and recreation center staff, 911 dispatchers, Philadelphia Water Department staff, airport service staff, street maintenance workers, crossing guards and morgue employees.
Recreation centers will resume normal summer hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. starting Thursday. By Monday, the city plans to refill 17 pools that were drained during the work stoppage. Another 26 pools are already open, and 112 spraygrounds remain open.
Williams said the city will take inventory of equipment and staff over the coming days to ensure a smooth transition back to work for union members.
The tentative contract agreement reached Wednesday includes annual 3% raises for DC 33 members over the next three years. The first year of the new contract also includes one-time $1,500 bonuses for union members. The city said its new contract with the union will cost $115 million.
"This is a very significant investment in our employees, while at the same time it ensures that we as a city are living within our means," Parker said.