Philadelphia’s first major city worker strike since 1986 lasted eight days and four hours before Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and Greg Boulware, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 33,

The deal includes a new three-year contract coupled with the one-year contract extension and a 14% pay increase over the next four years.

The largest municipal workers’ strike in decades in the city of Philadelphia has ended after 9,000 members of AFSCME District Council 33, who are primarily sanitation workers, walked off the job a week ago.

Between 1,200 and 1,300 sanitation workers are part of the AFSCME strike for higher wages and other improvements. Private contractors are handling trash drop-offs during the strike.

It must be said plainly: the strike is in danger as long as the AFSCME bureaucrats retain control. Victory can be achieved, but only if workers take control over the strike themselves.