Council Urges Contract For City Labor Unions

City Council is urging the Nutter Administration “to negotiate a fair contract” with AFSCME municipal-workers unions.

The four-year impasse, which has seen the City’s union workforce operate without any new contracts, has the Council worried the budget before them will not adequately cover any contract settled after budget deliberations  end.

Introduced by Councilman W. Wilson Goode, the resolution reads:

“WHEREAS, there is a need for the City of Philadelphia to recognize the significant fiscal support to the City made by the employees of the City represented by AFSCME municipal-workers unions; and

“WHEREAS, AFSCME municipal-workers unions worked closely with the Nutter Administration in the fall of 2009 to reassign 200 jobs and restructure the workforce to fill vacant previously funded positions in order to minimize job losses which resulted in savings to the City totaling $35 million; and

“WHEREAS, AFSCME municipal-workers unions, by not receiving wage increases over the last four years, have helped the City save $61 million; and

“WHEREAS, AFSCME municipal-workers unions, not having received any increase contributions from the City to cover the costs for health benefits, have saved the City $84 million; and

“WHEREAS, AFSCME municipal-workers unions played a significant role in helping the City to attain legislative approval from the Pennsylvania General Assembly to defer payment obligations to the Pension Plan until the year 2013, thereby allowing the City to conserve an additional $235 million; and

“WHEREAS, The total fiscal support that AFSCME municipal-workers unions have provided to the City over the  last four years equals or exceeds $415 million; and

“WHEREAS, The City would not have been able to balance the City Budget in any of the last four years without these significant fiscal contributions by AFSCME municipal workers; and

“WHEREAS, AFSCME municipal-workers unions have remained willing and, in fact, engaged in ongoing negotiations to settle a Fair Contract with the City; now, therefore, be it

“RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That City Council calls upon the Nutter Administration to acknowledge the significant fiscal support provided by AFSCME municipal workers unions; and

“BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That City Council calls upon the Nutter Administration to end the contract negotiations stalemate and demands for contract concessions and instead enter into negotiations with AFSCME municipal workers unions to reach a settlement for a Fair Contract that reflects the significant fiscal support that these two City employee unions have already rendered.”

The Goode resolution obviously reflects the sentiments of the Council and the City’s union and non-union workforce.

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