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Philadelphia Workers Rally for Fair Contract

July 2, 2009

Philadelphia city employees

SOLIDARITY RALLY – Philadelphia city employees, including members of AFSCME District Councils 33 and 47, fill a plaza near City Hall to demand a fair contract.

Photo Credit: Vickie Goffredo

“A fair contract with no concessions” was the unequivocal demand of thousands of Philadelphia city employees – members of AFSCME District Council 47 and District Council 33 – who recently rallied near City Hall.

Mayor Michael Nutter (D) is seeking concessions from the unions, whose contracts expired June 30. More than 9,000 blue-collar workers represented by DC 33, and more than 4,000 white-collar employees who are members of DC 47, are covered by the contracts.

The mayor recently launched his first official volley by proposing legislation to restructure the pension plan so that city workers hired starting July 1 will receive fewer benefits than current employees. He also has indicated he will seek concessions in wages, health plan benefits and work rules for existing workers.

“It is not fair for the mayor to look for relief in cutting the jobs, wages and benefits of District Council 33 members who have already stepped up and made many sacrifices to help the city,” says DC 33 Pres. Pete Matthews.

Since 1992, Matthews notes, DC 33 members have saved the city $200 million in contract concessions; $400 million in lost and deferred wages, health contributions and work-rule changes; and hundreds of millions lost to contracting out members’ work.

Joining the AFSCME members at the June 18 rally were members of Transport Union Workers Local 234 and Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ. Also demonstrating their solidarity with the workers were City Council members Jannie Blackwell and Curtis Jones Jr.; Democrat State Reps. Mike O’Brien and John Sabatina Jr.; and former State Rep. Thomas Blackwell.

DC 47 Pres. Cathy Scott says AFSCME members won’t back down:

“While the mayor has shown no interest in partnering with us, he has accomplished a task in uniting all of us as partners. Today, he can recognize we are a force to be reckoned with.”

To learn more, read Scott’s rally statement [PDF], and check out this summary from DC 47 describing how the mayor’s contract proposal will affect workers. Also, examine this list of DC 47 contract demands [PDF].

For news coverage of the rally, read these stories in the Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio 1060. Also, watch this YouTube video of the rally.

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