Mayor Cherelle Parker said the city would suspend residential trash collection, close some city pools and shorten recreation center hours, but vowed to keep the city running. Police and firefighters are not on strike, but the DC33 membership includes 911 dispatchers, trash collectors, water department workers and many others.

More than 9,000 city employees are on strike after contract talks fell apart between AFSCME District Council 33 and Mayor Parker’s administration, the first major city worker strike since 1986.

Trash is piling up across Philadelphia as the city's largest blue-collar union begins a massive strike, bringing essential services like trash pickup to a grinding halt.