AFSCME District Council 33

AFSCME District Council 33 (DC 33) is the union representing roughly 9,000 blue-collar and related employees of the City of Philadelphia. It is one of the two AFSCME councils in city government, alongside District Council 47, which represents white-collar workers. DC 33 members include trash collectors, water department workers, street crews, recreation staff and school crossing guards, among many job titles.^[1]

1 Structure and leadership

DC 33 is a council made up of affiliated AFSCME locals, each covering particular departments or job groups; the union's website lists a president and a secretary-treasurer for each local, and Greg Boulware as council president. The same website lists the council's headquarters at 3001 Walnut Street in West Philadelphia. Boulware is also listed as DC 33's representative on the executive board of the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO.^[2]

2 Bargaining and the legal framework

DC 33 bargains with the mayor's administration under Pennsylvania's Public Employe Relations Act (Act 195), which, unlike the law covering police and firefighters, allows many civilian public employees to strike after mediation and fact-finding; see Public Sector Bargaining in Pennsylvania. Contract costs must fit the city's five-year plan reviewed by PICA, and DC 33 wages are a significant part of the city budget. Employees in the union are also covered by the civil service rules described in Civil Service Commission.

3 The 2025 strike and contract

DC 33 went on strike at the start of July 2025, after talks with the Parker administration did not produce a deal. On July 9, 2025, Mayor Cherelle Parker and Boulware announced that the strike was over and that the union had accepted a deal. The union's website lists a "2025 3-Year Agreement" and posts the term sheet dated July 9, 2025, which applies to employees represented by DC 33, including former Traffic Court employees and school crossing guards. According to that term sheet, the agreement runs for three years, from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028. It provides a 3 percent increase in each step of each pay range when strikers return to work, and further 3 percent increases effective July 1 of 2026 and 2027; a one-time $1,500 bonus for permanent full-time employees on the payroll at ratification; a fifth pay step (and a third step for school crossing guards) effective July 1, 2026; a differential for certain Medical Examiner's Office forensic classes; and city payments covering a shortfall in the DC 33 Health and Welfare Fund. Earlier in the bargaining the union had asked for 8 percent annual raises, and the city had countered with a smaller total increase, according to news coverage. Details of the dispute are in 2025 DC 33 Strike.^[3]

4 Politics and relations with the city

DC 33 is an influential political actor: it endorses candidates, mobilizes members and has historically been a strong presence in mayoral and Council races. See Labor and Politics in Philadelphia. The union is affiliated with the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO. Strikes by city workers, as in 1986 and 2025, tend to dominate local news because of the visible effect on trash pickup, pools and libraries; see Philadelphia Water Department and Streets Department for departments whose workers it represents.

5 Contacting the union

DC 33 lists its headquarters at 3001 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Members with grievances typically begin with their shop steward and local. Residents who need city services during a work stoppage should consult Philly311.

See also: Organized Labor in Philadelphia, Office of Human Resources, Philadelphia City Council.

References

1. AFSCME District Council 33, afscme33.org (viewed October 2026).
2. AFSCME District Council 33, "About Us" and "Local Officers," afscme33.org; Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO, Executive Board, phillyaflcio.org (viewed October 2026).
3. AFSCME District Council 33, "Contracts" page and "Tentative Agreement (7/9/2025)" term sheet, afscme33.org; 6abc Philadelphia, "Thousands of Philadelphia workers go on strike" (June 30, 2025).