Philadelphia's largest blue-collar workers union flood streets near City Hall, vote to authorize strike

PHILADELPHIA - Thousands of Philadelphia city workers are set to walk off the job, with the city's so-called blue-collar union voting to authorize a strike. 

Many of those workers rallied at City Hall Wednesday night calling on Mayor Cherelle Parker to meet their demands.

The mass gathering that had police shut down traffic around City Hall in the evening rush hour was made up of everyone from city sanitation staffers to police dispatchers. 

District Council 33, known as the City's blue-collar workers union, wants to see more green in the offer by the Parker Administration.

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 to sit down. If this is one Philly, we should all be getting paid right, and right now we're not," he said.

"Our money is spent on Philadelphia. We live in Philadelphia, and we love Philadelphia. How about showing us the money," Fred Gillespie, another city worker, added.

Shawn McGeever, also a city worker, made it clear Philly is in need of these workers.

"Philadelphia works because we do. No contract, no peace," he said.

The union says the one-year extension offer from negotiators two weeks ago, amounts to just $50 more per pay period, nowhere near keeping up with inflation. 

"$50 doesn't cover anything anymore these days," a worker commented.

When a voice vote on whether to give the union the OK to call a strike was taken outside, it was an overwhelming "yes." When asked for any "nays," there was silence. 

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

"We will be going back to our union hall to have an official strike vote in about a week. An official strike vote will be taken at the union hall next week, and then put the city on notice that it's our intention to go on strike should the city not come back with an offer that's respectable enough for our members to consider accepting," said Boulware.

Soon, the largest city workers union and the largest transit workers union may both be going on strike, potentially leading to everything from trash trucks to buses to busy streets department crews off the streets and on strike instead.

The Parker administration released the following statement on the issue:

"It's not our place to discuss the union's tactics or strategies. We remain confident in what we’ve negotiated throughout this year with every other union representing our municipal workers, and we believe we will be able to find an amicable resolution with District Council 33’s leadership and membership as well."