AFSCME workers rally in Philadelphia

Hundreds of city workers in the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Councils 47 and 33 rallied on March 8 in Love Park in Philadelphia near City Hall to demand that the city administration come to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair contract. The last wage increase that Philadelphia’s 10,857 blue-collar and 3,500 white-collar workers received was on July 1, 2007. Health and welfare contributions have been frozen as well. AFSCME President Pete Matthews estimated that the city has saved a total of $145,637,489 during the four years that the workforce has been working under the terms of the old contract. After the rally, workers flooded the weekly meeting of the City Council to press for their demands.

— Report & photo by Joe Piette