City prepares for strike

By Jacqueline Soteropoulos

June 30, 2000 Web posted at: 1:36 PM EDT (1736 GMT)

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia Inquirer) -- With four major labor contracts scheduled to expire tomorrow night, representatives of white-collar workers are scheduled to resume talks today with city negotiators.

But union leaders for the city's 11,000 blue-collar workers have been waiting for a week for the city to present a new offer.

"There's no progress," said Sherman Harris, spokesman for AFSCME District Council 33, which represents sanitation, streets, and water and sewer employees.

Labor leaders have threatened a strike timed to disrupt the Republican National Convention at the end of July.

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Philadelphia Managing Director Joseph S. Martz has been working feverishly on the city's strike contingency plan, said Barbara Grant, Mayor Street's communications director.

"We've been planning this for months," she said. "The city is prepared to make sure essential city services flow to people.

"It's a huge, complicated plan," she said. "Every department has to do its own emergency plan. The plan covers everything from how to keep your office clean to how to ensure the public safety and well-being."

Grant said that if workers strike this weekend, the city is prepared to scale back or cancel Sunoco Welcome America! and Fourth of July events.

Members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents 14,000 blue- and white-collar city workers, have voted to authorize a strike if contracts cannot be reached.

"People know that we're three days out and it's time to get serious," Grant said.

Members of the state Bureau of Mediation worked yesterday to bring representatives of white-collar union District Council 47 and city negotiators back to the bargaining table, at the request of labor leaders.

The Bureau of Mediation, part of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, tries to resolve labor disputes and stave off strikes. The mediators could not be reached for comment.

City contracts with firefighters and police officers also expire tomorrow, but those workers are barred by law from striking and are in binding arbitration.

Early in his administration, Street pledged to resolve contracts before the June 30 deadline, but in recent weeks the process has unraveled.

Street was scheduled to appear June 19 as the city's final witness in arbitration hearings with the Fraternal Order of Police. He did not appear, and the session was rescheduled for July 6.

"His army of attorneys told us it had something to do with the stadium," FOP Lodge President Richard Costello said. "It's the height of arrogance. It's the height of negligence."

Labor leaders have criticized Street for directing his attention - and city funding - to a $1.2 billion sports stadium deal while union contracts were expiring.

The city has yet to present its side to arbitrators handling the firefighters' contract. With that panel of arbitrators scheduled to take vacation next month, Firefighters Local 22 vice president Tom O'Drain said he doesn't expect a contract until late August or September.

The proposal the city was quickest to present was summarily rejected by blue-collar workers as "ridiculous" and "insulting."

Labor leaders said that first financial offer was $500 bonuses in the first and second years of a four-year contract and 2 percent raises in each of the last two years.

The union seeks 6 percent yearly raises and an annual cost-of-living allowance throughout a three-year contract.

Street has said he would not jeopardize the city's fiscal stability with generous union contracts.

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