Overview

• At 12:01 a.m. on July 1, AFSCME District Council 33 began an indefinite strike after marathon talks failed to resolve pay and healthcare differences.
• The stoppage has halted curbside trash pickup, reduced pool and recreation center hours, and risked slower 911 dispatch and water repairs under contingency operations.
• City officials opened 63 temporary trash drop-off sites, cross-trained Water Department staff and reassigned police personnel to 911 call centers to maintain essential services.
• DC33 is pressing for roughly 5.75% annual raises over four years while the administration’s offer would deliver about 12% in total pay increases and revised healthcare provisions.
• This is the first major DC33 strike since 1986 and underscores mounting public-sector tensions over low municipal wages in mid-2025.