With just hours to go before a strike deadline, Philadelphia city officials outlined a plan ahead of a possible walkout by union blue-collar workers.
The workers involved include sanitation workers, 911 call center operators, water department employees, parks & rec workers and some airport staffers.
A walkout could mean a stop to residential trash pickup, longer wait times for 911 calls, delays in water infrastucture repairs and public pool closures.
City outlines contingency plans if blue collar union goes on strike
The city released the following list of impacts of a potential strike:
Impacts to Services & Operations
Emergency Services: 911 Call Centers & Dispatch
Philadelphia's 911 call centers for emergency dispatch will remain open in the event of a work stoppage and operators will continue to take calls. "Don't hang up," Mayor Parker and Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel advised today. "Your calls will be answered."
Trash & Recycling Collection
The Department of Sanitation would operate on in a modified capacity. There will be no residential collection of trash or recycling effective Tuesday, July 1. Residents should refrain from placing any trash or recycling out for curbside collection until further notice. The City will open 63 temporary drop-off locations around Philadelphia where residents can bring their trash in the event of any work stoppage. Residents can search for the nearest drop off location for trash here. Please read the map instructions carefully.
The City has issued the following guidelines for residents:
Trash
The following locations will be available for residents to drop off trash and recycling for disposal:
-Six Sanitation drop-off centers (open 6 a.m. through 10 p.m.) Sunday through Saturday.
-Over 60 temporary drop-off locations sites (available 6 a.m. through 10 p.m.) Monday through Saturday.
-Drop off locations will be available for usage beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 1, and for the remainder of the week they will be open at 6 a.m.
-Details will be posted on phila.gov/sanitation.
-Drop off locations will not be available on Friday, July 4 due to the holiday. Sanitation Convenience Centers will also be closed.
-Residents are asked to bring their materials to drop off sites on their normal trash day.
-The City will continue to monitor these locations. If the work stoppage lingers and reaches capacity, the City will be expanding to additional locations.
-The City will monitor the sites to ensure there are enough dumpsters at each site.
-The City will have personnel on hand to assist with trash collection at designated locations.
-Sanitation regulations remain:
-Bagged trash only (up to eight bags of trash).
-No loose trash.
Recycling
-Recyclable materials will only be accepted at the six Sanitation Convenience Centers.
-Please hold recycling materials as long as possible as trash is the priority due to health and safety concerns.
Department of Public Health
Most Health Department services will continue to be available to City residents. However, some services at the Health Centers may be temporarily unavailable or delayed. Patients with appointments will be contacted about the status of their upcoming appointments.
The Health Department will strive to offer full services in the event of a strike. Depending on which staff are available on a particular day, be they contract staff, supervisory staff, or DC33 staff, services available may vary.For example, the Health Department will strive to keep Health Centers open, but based upon available staff, some appointments may be moved to virtual, and some services may be referred out.
Water Department Services & Repairs
PWD has prepared for this workforce reduction by cross-training staff to perform operational functions ensuring core drinking water and wastewater services. However, parts of our core service delivery may be impacted by reduced staffing. Some customers could experience service impacts including longer response and repair times (for example - water main breaks, street cave-ins, open hydrants, clogged inlets). During a strike and any city emergency, repairs will be prioritized according to severity of impact and available resources.
PWD's Customer Contact Center
PWD's customer contact line remains open during a strike. Call 215-685-6300 to report issues. Due to limited staffing, wait times for non-emergency calls will be longer than usual, and we thank you for your patience.
Customers should use self-service options for bill payment and general account information. Go to MyPhillywaterBill to view account information and make payments. Self-service account information and payment options are also available by calling 215-685-6300 and following the prompts in the main menu. Representatives will prioritize emergency calls and not be available for billing issues or account information. Non-emergency service inquiries should be held until we can resume full staffing.
Permitting & Construction Projects
Water and sewer connection permit requests should follow the instructions posted on the Water Department's website. The permit desk at Municipal Services Building (MSB) may be impacted by reduced staff levels. Most planned construction projects will stop until staffing levels return to normal.
Meter Appointments
During a strike, only urgent meter work will be performed, such as repairing or replacing damaged or leaking meters. No new meter appointments will be made during a reduced staffing situation. Customers with existing appointments may receive cancelation calls and an option to reschedule.
Department of Streets
The Department of Streets will maintain appropriate levels of staffing and resources to ensure traffic signals, traffic signs, roadways, bridges and city-wide street lighting provide safe egress for multi-modal traffic, particularly on high traffic volume routes throughout the city.Work performed will focus on "make-safe" operations and emergency repairs for conditions and problems affecting traffic safety or impediments to the movement of traffic. In addition, Streets will continue to coordinate crossing guard coverage for schools currently receiving crossing guard services during the summer months.
"Make-safe" operations can include inspection, barricades or partial closures, relocation of damaged traffic infrastructure, temporary electrical repairs, or temporary signage.
Please continue to report damage to traffic infrastructure or unsafe roadway conditions to 311. Any emergency reports, such as a non-working traffic control devices should be reported to 911.
-Potholes, ditches, cave-ins - Streets will respond and make-safe as necessary .
-Milling and Paving- Street resurfacing is not an essential service.
-Traffic Signals - Streets will respond to perform emergency repairs and make-safe.
-Traffic Intersection Control Signs - Streets will respond to repair.
-Streetlight and Alley light Repairs - will continue to be done by contractor, along with maintenance response.
-Streetlight Pole Knockdowns - Streets will perform emergency make-safe repairs for knockdown street light poles.
-Bridge Monitoring and Assessment - Streets will monitor City bridges and identify any potentially dangerous conditions.
-Roadway Monitoring and Assessment - Streets will monitor City roadway structures and identify any potentially dangerous conditions.
-School Crossing Guard and Public Traffic Safety Enforcement Programs - Streets will coordinate the continued staffing of intersections around schools currently receiving crossing guard services for summer programing. Schools and intersections near the Vision Zero High Injury Network will be prioritized.
Parks & Recreation
Philadelphia Parks and Recreation services will be impacted, particularly in pool operations, park maintenance, and event support:
-Pools & Spraygrounds: While 62 City pools were originally expected to be open by the end of next week, only 24 pools will be fully available if a work stoppage occurs, due to limited maintenance staffing. All 112 spraygrounds will remain open however.
-Recreation Centers: Rec Centers will shift to reduced hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Evening programs will be suspended. Summer camps will continue as scheduled.
-Cooling Centers: All designated cooling centers will remain open to support public health during extreme heat.
-Permitted Events in Park Spaces: Picnic permit holders and event organizers should expect limited cleaning, maintenance, and gate access. Park spaces will not meet their usual standards for appearance or functionality.
PHL International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) will be open and operational, as airline, concessions and federal security staff are not DC 33 staff. The work stoppage does affect several of PHL's teams, including custodial, facilities and maintenance.
Where permissible, PHL staff shortages will be temporarily filled by non-DC33 employees not performing critical or emergency work and contracted employees.
