Talks resume as Philadelphia workers approach two years without contract

Many Philadelphia city employees are getting close to working two years without a contract.  Negotiations with one union pick back up this week.

While testifying about the Philadelphia budget, Joseph Tolan, head of the Mayor’s Office of Labor Relations, mentioned there will be a formal negotiating session this week with the city’s white collar union–District Council 47.

“I talk to the leadership of the union probably on a weekly basis on issues there’s decisions jointly on when to get together in this forum,” said Tolan.

The blue and white collar unions have been without a contract since Summer 2009 and have worked under the terms of their old agreement.  Tolan says even without a formal sit-down he keeps at it.

“We do talk all the time but in that kind of a setting we have not done that for a while, we have recently done that with District Council 33 we are doing it this week with District Council 47,” he said.

The proposed city budget does not include money for raises for unionized workers.