Atlanta City Employees Win Pay Raise Vote

June 06, 2007

WE NEED A RAISE! Atlanta city employees, including members of Local 1644, won their first raise. Here, they are delivering a 500-foot-long “petition” to City Hall.

Photo Credit:

Sam Gonzales

More than 2,000 Atlanta city employees scored a major victory June 4 in their battle to win more than the 2 percent raise that Mayor Shirley Franklin had offered – thanks to the persistence of the members of AFSCME Local 1644.

Meeting to approve the next fiscal year budget, members of the City Council voted to grant municipal workers a 2.6 percent pay raise starting July 1, rising to 3.6 percent next January. The employees have not had a raise in six years, and they are pushing the mayor to approve the council’s budget.

Last month, some 300 members of Local 1644 marched on City Hall, chanting “Two percent won’t pay the rent.” The activists also delivered a unique petition: 1,000 signed cards stapled together on a 500-foot-long ribbon. They read: “We need a raise. This city works because we do.” 

Members and officials of Local 1644 – which represents employees who work in Atlanta’s departments of public works, water, planning and development, corrections, parks and recreation, and aviation – have held several public rallies, and testified at hearings to focus attention on the pay issue.

The union also produced a short video that went to all City Council members, the mayor and public access TV, illustrating the important work that is done by all of the city’s employees.

To read a news report about Local 1644’s victory, click here. The union won a similar battle six years ago. Read about that victory here.