Mayor Nutter calls for end of DROP

Philadelphia’s Mayor says he wants a retirement incentive program for city employees to come to an end. Municipal unions are already vowing a fight.

Philadelphia’s mayor says he wants a retirement incentive program for city employees to come to an end. Municipal unions are already vowing a fight.

Mayor Nutter says the Deferred Retirement Option Program, which allows workers to pick a retirement date and get a lump sum payment, is costing the city too much money and needs to be eliminated.

“The DROP program has cost the city significant revenues, it has not achieved the anticipated goals and in short it has not worked.”

At the announcement there were representatives of the major city unions, including FOP head John McNesby who says the city can’t take the benefit away.

“Because it’s part of our terms and conditions of employment,”McNesby said, “we just finished our contract, we were awarded a contract in December of 2009 which goes until 2014, they want to talk about DROP? We’ll see them in five years.”

Mayor Nutter says all that needs to be done is for city council to pass a bill, which he will send for their consideration after their summer recess ends in September.