The AFSCME District Council 33 strike, involving roughly 9,000 municipal workers in sanitation, water, emergency dispatch, libraries, and more, began at midnight on July 1. The week-long pause deeply disrupted city operations—with overflowing trash piles, closed pools, and crippled library services. Even Philadelphia Airport sanitation staff joined the picket line. Meanwhile, the country is grappling with chaos in the cities as ICE agents raid job sites and vulnerable communities.