District Council 33 votes to authorize strike

PHILADELPHIA – Thousands of city workers in Philadelphia are about to walk off their jobs, as the city’s so-called workers’ union votes to authorize a strike.

Many of these workers gathered at City Hall on Wednesday evening, calling on Mayor Cherelle Parker to meet their demands.

The mass gathering that saw police shut down traffic around City Hall during the evening rush hour included everyone from city sanitation workers to police dispatchers.

District Council 33, known as the city’s workers’ union, wants to see more green in the Parker Administration’s offerings.

Tyreek Jackson, a city worker, expressed the workers’ sentiment

“We don’t have enough money to pay the bills. We just want a fair contract; we want a seat at the table. If this is one Philly, we should all be paid well, and right now that’s not the case” , he says. said.

“Our money is spent in Philadelphia. We live in Philadelphia and we love Philadelphia. How about you show us the money,” added Fred Gillespie, another city worker.

Shawn McGeever, also a city worker, made it clear that Philly needs these workers.

“Philadelphia works because we do too. No contract, no peace,” he said.

The union says negotiators’ one-year extension offer from two weeks ago is only $50 more per pay period, which is nowhere near keeping pace with inflation.

“Fifty dollars doesn’t cover anything these days,” one worker noted.

When the vote was taken on whether the union should be allowed to call a strike, it was an overwhelming ‘yes’. When asked for a ‘no’ there was silence.

Greg Boulware, chairman of District Council 33, outlined the next steps.

“In about a week we will go back to our union building to hold an official strike vote. There will be an official strike vote at the union building next week, after which we will notify the city of our intention to strike. Should the city not come back with an offer respectable enough for our members to consider accepting,” Boulware said.

Soon, both the city’s largest union and the largest transportation union will go on strike, potentially forcing everything from garbage trucks to buses to busy street department workers off the streets and on strike instead.

The Parker administration released the following statement on the matter:

“It is not our place to discuss the union’s tactics or strategies. We remain confident in what we have negotiated throughout the year with every other union representing our municipal employees, and we believe we will be able to find an amicable solution with the members of District Council 33. leadership and membership also.”