PHILADELPHIA — Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and City officials today shared updates on the City of Philadelphia’s response and operations in regards to the AFSCME District Council 33 (DC33) work stoppage, which has lasted one day. The City of Philadelphia continues to delivery essential services and public safety to residents and businesses.

District Council 33 walked away from the negotiating table with City negotiators on Monday night, June 30, and went on strike at Midnight June 30. DC33 represents approximately 9,000 City workers.

The City has released the following additional information and updates.

Court Rulings

In response to several requests for relief from the courts, the City of Philadelphia successfully litigated several matters, leading to the following court orders issued today. The following orders are effective immediately:

911 Order 

  • This court order mandates all employees working at the 911 call center to return to full performance of work duties.
  • This includes 32 fire dispatchers and five (5) supervisors, and 200 police dispatchers.
  • This order does not prevent staff from lawfully participating in the strike during off-duty hours.

PWD Order 

  • This court order mandates that workers at essential Philadelphia Water Department facilities return to full performance of work duties.
  • This court order does not prevent staff from lawfully participating in the strike during off-duty hours.

Picketing Order 

  • This court order prohibits members of DC33 or other participants in the strike from:
    • Blocking or obstructing access to City buildings and work sites.
    • Threatening, harassing, following, intimidating, photographing, or otherwise interfering with City employees or vehicles at City facilities.
    • Blocking the delivery of products to City facilities or City employees.
  • Picketing will be limited to:
    • A maximum of eight (8) picketers at a time.
    • A minimum of 10 feet of space from entrances.

July 4th Celebrations
Our partners at Wawa Welcome America have curated an incredible lineup of events to commemorate the birth of our nation, with celebrations that began on Juneteenth and will culminate with the signature July 4th festivities.

The City is working closely with event organizers, public safety officials, and external partners to ensure that beloved events like POPS on Independence, the Celebration of Freedom Ceremony, the Salute to Independence Parade, and the iconic July 4th Concert and Fireworks can go on as scheduled safely and successfully.

“The Fourth of July celebrations will go on,” Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said today at a news conference at a trash drop-off site in West Philadelphia. “We’ll be at Independence Mall in the morning, and on the Parkway all day and evening. Keep your Holiday plans for the 4th in Philly!”

For the full schedule of Wawa Welcome America events, visit july4thphilly.com.

Business Resources
The Mayor’s Business Action Team, Department of Commerce is available to provides personalized assistance in multiple languages to support business owners who have been impacted by the work stoppage or have questions. Businesses can contact the Mayor’s Business Action Team by emailing business@phila.gov or calling 215-683-2100.

Philadelphia Water Department
The Philadelphia Water Department’s (PWD) top priority is always to ensure Philadelphia residents’ drinking water remains safe to drink. Today, the Managing Director Adam K. Thiel stressed to the public that the City’s drinking water remains safe to drink. If there are any changes to the safety of the drinking water, PWD will communicate the change through ReadyPhiladelphia and all media channels. Residents can continue to report water emergencies through our hotline at 215-685-6300.  Response times may be longer than our normal service and we will need to prioritize by urgency level.

In preparation for this workforce reduction and any emergency, PWD provided cross-training to non-DC33 staff to perform essential operational functions at the City’s three drinking water treatment plants, three sewage treatment plants, and other key facilities. To ensure continuity of operations, staff are now housed at these facilities 24-hours a day and are assigned to work 12-hour shifts.

Furthermore, the Department has been monitoring sites to ensure that chemical deliveries and other services continue. Staff from PWD’s Water Treatment Plants and Bureau of Laboratory Services have continued water quality monitoring within the drinking water treatment plants and throughout the distribution system.

Philadelphia Parks and Recreation (PPR): Pools, Spraygrounds & Rec Centers
Today, PPR posted an updated pool schedule. While 62 City pools were originally expected to be open by the end of next week, 25 pools, including a pool owned by the School District of Philadelphia, are the only pools open because of the work stoppage due to limited maintenance staffing. All 112 spraygrounds will remain open, however:

  • Recreation Centers: Will shift to reduced hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Evening programs will be suspended. Summer camps will continue as scheduled.
  • All designated cooling centers will remain open to support public health during extreme heat.

Free Library of Philadelphia
As of July 1, all Free Library of Philadelphia libraries are temporarily closed due to safety issues related to picketing activities. Injunctions have been filed so more libraries can remain open. Please check back for updates and visit the Free Library’s Closings and Renovations page on their website for the latest information on library branches.

Philly 311
Philly311 will implement an outgoing message informing callers that we are currently experiencing high call volumes. The message will also provide alternative methods for submitting inquiries. Philly311 exempt staff will be handling incoming calls, as well as all inquiries received through our non-call channels of communication.

Stay Informed

The City will release additional updates as they become available and continue to update the what you need to know about the city work stoppage blog on the City’s website with the latest information.

  • For the latest updates from the City, follow @PhilaOEM on X (Twitter) or Facebook.
  • Other City X (Twitter) accounts to follow for developments, response, and service information: @PhiladelphiaGov, @PhilaStreets.
  • Sign up for the City’s free text alert system, ReadyPhiladelphia, and local media updates regarding service availability and any changes due to potential disruptions. You can get official ReadyAlerts updates from the Office of Emergency Management to your phone by texting READYPHILA to 888-777.
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