City Tried To Move Trash From Northeast Philly Locations
by Alex Lloyd Gross
As the city trash strike enters the sixth day with no resolution in sight, the city is trying to shovel water against the tide by making an attempt to remove the growing mountains of trash, The site on Calera Road has a trash truck there, from the CLIP (Community Life Improvement Project). These employees stationed there were eager to help those that showed up to drop off their trash.
“We’re not union, not civil service, so we’re out here”, one of the crew members said. None of the people that live nearby are happy about the growing trash pile and this could help. When a union goes on strike, management will bring in outside people to do the work. This is no different.
Private contractors were brought in with a backhoe and dump truck to load up the files of trash and cart it away. CLIP workers block off the street for a few hours so this work could be done. In spite of a trash truck in plain sight, some city residents were not paying attention and were intent on adding to the trash pile.
Some of the trash is illegally dumped contractor waste or items not supposed to be dumped there like furniture or debris left over from a home improvement project. Business trash is also being dumped. City officials hope to use cameras to catch those misusing the city dump sites.
ALEX LLOYD GROSS PHOTO-DELAWAREVALLEYNEWS.COM
Clip workers are stationed on Calera Road to take people’s trash/
Some ignored calls, other that paid attention, appeared surprised to city a city truck there for their trash. The reason the trucks are there is twofold. First, Mayor Parker wants to be seen as making an effort and people will remember in November when her term is up. No one wants to be known as the mayor that dumped tons of trash in their neighborhood.
This activity is being done in other areas of the city as well. The union is pointing out the income disparity as their workers earn less than $50,000/yr while the mayor earns over $250,000. Parker’s pay went up from just under $100,000/yr when she was in city council when she took over as mayor. Parker said her pay is the same as former mayor Jim Kenney.
Negotiations are set to start up again today and the city is hoping to settle the strike, which is contentious. Striking union workers have been assaulted, arrested, while public sentiment is split about half in their favor and half against.