Mayor Cherelle Parker said she is optimistic her administration will be able to reach a deal with the city’s largest union.
In Philadelphia, tensions are growing between the city and its largest union for workers.
The union is planning to go on strike next week, but Mayor Cherelle Parker said on Friday that she is optimistic her administration will be able to reach a deal for a new contract with the union.
“I’m hoping that we come away from the table with some common ground. Philadelphia, your mayor is an eternal optimist. I believe in GTY — getting to yes,” the mayor said at a news conference.
Parker’s administration spent Friday in closed-door negotiations with the president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 33, Greg Boulware. The union represents the city’s blue-collar workers.
The mayor declined to comment on the details of Friday’s negotiations.
“What I desire… is a contract for all our municipal unions that is fair and fiscally responsible. That’s my goal, and I’m going to keep on trying to hammer out a compromise, because that’s who I am,” Parker said.
The contracts for all four major unions representing Philadelphia’s municipal workers is set to expire on Tuesday, which is the beginning of the next fiscal year.
While union members often work under the terms of expired contracts while deals are being negotiated and receive retroactive pay for raises in new contracts, Boulware is treating Tuesday’s contract expiration as a deadline.
“We are absolutely firm in our position that if we don’t have a deal, we are planning to go on strike. We love our jobs, we enjoy doing our jobs, but it’s increasingly difficult day by day if you go home and you have financial strife and hardships in the city you’re providing services for,” Boulware expressed in a recent interview.
In 1992, the union walked off the job, but a deal was reached about 14 hours later. The potential strike next week would be the union’s first major one since 1986.
About 95% of DC 33 members voted last week to authorize Boulware to initiate a strike as soon as 12 a.m. on Tuesday, he said.
Negotiations with the mayor’s administration are focused on compensation. According to analysis, DC 33’s members are the lowest paid of the four major municipal unions. They make about $46,000 yearly on average.
The potential strike would shut down many crucial city services, including trash collection and street cleaning.
DC 33 asked for four years of 8% raises during negotiations, while Parker’s team initially offered four years of 2% raises.
On Wednesday, Boulware said the administration offered a three-year deal with raises of 2%, 2.4%, and 3%. DC 33 came back with an offer of four years of 5.75% raises.
Boulware said, “The only thing that would stop a strike would be the city coming to terms with us.”
