Nutter, union president save Philly workers from tripled health care costs

The city of Philadelphia is helping its white-collar workers weather a health care crisis. 

 

The city has given $2.5 million dollars to the white-collar workers union, District Council 47. Without it, the amount deducted from each member’s paycheck for health care costs would have tripled.

 

Mayor Michael Nutter said the union’s new president Fred Wright requested the help.

“Given the significance of their financial position, I thought it important that we take action now that the members health care was secure and the fund had the necessary resources to be sure the members bills would be paid,” Nutter said.

The payment also could make it easier to agree on a new contract that would stabilize the union’s health and welfare fund in the long term, Nutter said.

For his part, Wright is hopeful.

“I look forward to continuing to negotiate with the representatives of the city of Philadelphia and I’m confident we will be able to resolve our differences at the bargaining table,” he said Thursday. “The release of these funds is a step in the right direction.”

The union has been working without a contract for about four and a half years.