Supremes Reject Nutter’s Quest To Force Union Contracts

Calling it a “major victory for all of this state’s bargaining agents,” Herman “Pete” Matthews welcomed the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s ruling late last week that upheld the collective bargaining rights of DC 33 and DC 47, which together represent the bulk of the city’s municipal workers.

“Now let’s get back to the bargaining table,” Matthews said. “That is all we have wanted from the beginning of his administration. Mayor Michael Nutter’s efforts to undo the City’s history of dealing with its unions by refusing to negotiate legitimate contracts have cost taxpayers many thousands of dollars in what all sensible administrators understood was a no-win situation for him. All we ever intended to do was for him to sit with us at a bargaining session.”

Matthews added, “We have enough problems in this city. We don’t intend to let him continue this farce on the taxpayers.”

Rick Bloomingdale, president of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, said the ruling issued last week by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court denied the petition by Nutter seeking an immediate hearing in an effort to impose a contract on thousands of hard-working Philadelphia municipal workers represented by AFSCME District Council 33 and other public-service unions.

“Mayor Nutter’s attempts to solve his budget problems on the backs of city workers are a heartless and foolish way to finance the services Philadelphia taxpayers need and deserve. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court stood with working families and the rule of law and we commend them. The members and leaders of all the unions that joined together for this battle and AFSCME District Council 33 who led the charge, scored a major victory for the rights of workers to bargain collectively,” said Bloomingdale.

Frank Snyder, secretary-treasurer of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, said, “For four long years, these working men and women have served the people of Philadelphia without the security of a contract. This is a victory for collective bargaining, not just for DC 33, but for bus drivers, teachers, cafeteria workers, wine and spirit shop employees, first responders, trash collectors many others who earn a living delivering the public services we need and expect. While truly significant, today’s win is only a step in the process. Our work is not over. We have miles to go before we sleep.”

In recent weeks, the city workers’ two major unions have dogged the Mayor at every opportunity, saying his efforts to dominate the unions through the courts were a “waste of time and taxpayers’ money, and an obvious disregard of his employees’ rights.”

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