AFSCME DISTRICT COUNCILS 33 AND 47 HAVE REACHED TENTATAIVE AGREEMENTS WITH PHILADELPHIA MAYOR CHERELLE PARKER’S ADMINISTRATION THIS SUMMER
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 47 (DC 47), which represents approximately 4,000 administrative and supervisory employees in City Hall, reached a tentative contract agreement with Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration this week.
Mayor Parker and DC 47 President April Gigetts said that the three-year tentative deal consists of 2.5%, 3%, and 3% wage increases for the union’s members and a 1% fifth pay step in 2027. They will also receive a $1,250 bonus. DC 47 had extended contracts that expired on July 1 until July 15. The tentative agreement must be ratified by members to take effect, and a vote is expected to take place over the next week.
During a press conference this week, Finance Director Rob Dubow said the total cost of DC47’s three-year deal will be $92 million over the course of the five-year Plan.
AFSCME DC 33 — which represents more than 9,000 blue-collar municipal employees — went on strike from July 1-8 before reaching a three-year tentative agreement with the city early in the morning on July 9.
DC 33’s tentative deal would provide members with a 3% wage increase each year of the contract and a one-time bonus of $1,500, before taxes. Crossing guards and part-time workers will receive a prorated bonus. The DC 33 agreement will also establish a fifth pay-scale step, and a third pay-scale step for school crossing guards in the union.
DC 33 contract will cost about $115 million over the next three years. The two contracts (DC33 and 47) together will cost about $207 million over the next three to five years and Dubow said $200 million of the costs is being covered by the $550 million Labor Reserve fund passed by Council in this year’s budget.
Members of DC 33 began voting on the ratification of its tentative agreement this week and a final vote total is expected to be announced sometime during the week of July 21. All City services that were stopped during the DC 33 strike, including trash and recycling pickup, are back on their normal schedule.
Labor negotiations continue between the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, The Philadelphia Firefighters’ & Paramedics’ Union, Local 22 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, and Prison bargaining units in the coming months. Police and Firefighters are not allowed to go on strike under Pennsylvania law.
PHILADELPHIA CITY COUNCILMEMBERS VISITED THE PENNSYLVANIA CAPITOL RECENTLY TO LOBBY FOR IMPORTANT FUNDING FOR PHILADELPHIA
Council President Kenyatta Johnson led a delegation of City Councilmembers to the state Capitol in Harrisburg recently to advocate for additional funding for SEPTA and other issues impacting Philadelphia.
Council wants to see more state money go to SEPTA. The transit agency is the backbone of our region’s public transportation system, and it’s currently facing critical financial challenges that threaten its ability to operate effectively. Without a meaningful increase in state support, the system risks severe service cuts that would impact thousands of riders and our economy.
The SEPTA Board approved on June 26 a budget for the upcoming fiscal year that includes deep cuts to services across the board, including fare increases and the shutdown of all rail services at 9 p.m. every day. The cuts would begin on August 24, and a 21% increase would begin on September 1.
SEPTA is facing a $213 million structural deficit. Elected officials in Philadelphia have been doing their part to help SEPTA, but it is time for the Pennsylvania State House and State Senate to do its part for all mass transit systems statewide. The House has passed legislation for mass transit statewide, and it is now being considered by the State Senate.
The Councilmembers that visited the State Capital were Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson (At-Large); Mike Driscoll (6th District), Chair of Council’s Transportation Committee; Jamie Gauthier (3rd District), Curtis Jones, Jr. (4th District), Quetcy Lozada (7th District); Anthony Phillips (9th District); Brian O’Neill (10th District), Jim Harrity (At-Large), Rue Landau (At-Large) and Nina Ahmad (At-Large).
PHILADELPHIA CITY COUNCIL HAS IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET A NEW FUNDING PROGRAM TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS
Philadelphia City Councilmembers and the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations (PACDC) held a press conference on July 14th to celebrate the commitment of $3.5 million in flexible funding for Philadelphia’s Community Development Corporations (CDCs) in the City’s current Fiscal Year 2026 budget and to call for the creation of a permanent, multi-year program. Fiscal Year 2026 started on July 1.
“We rely on Philly’s network of CDCs to stabilize and revitalize neighborhoods, repair the fabric of our communities, and provide critical services that promote affordable housing support and economic opportunity,” said Councilmember Gauthier (3rd District), Chair of the Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development, and the Homeless.
“This type of flexible support will enable CDCs to continue to deliver core services in a way that advances equity, including enabling local residents and businesses to create generational wealth, build and preserve affordable homes to advance self-sufficiency, advance economic opportunity by supporting and growing local businesses and commercial corridors, create safe, clean and green streetscapes, and elevate community voices. We applaud Councilmember Gauthier, Council President Johnson and co-sponsors for stepping up and meeting the moment to help stabilize these essential organizations. For longer-term success and greater impact, we also need a multi-year program at scale,” said Jamila Harris-Morrison, Executive Director of ACHIEVEability.
CDC’s are 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations that are created to support and revitalize communities, especially those that are impoverished or struggling. CDCs engage in the important work of community revitalization and community stabilization like creating affordable housing or facilitating economic development. They can also be involved in a wide range of community services that meet local needs such as education, job training, healthcare, commercial corridor revitalization, and other social programs.
GOFUNDME PAGE CREATED FOR COUNCIL STAFFER SERIOUSLY INJURIED DURING NICETOWN HOUSE EXPLOSION IN JUNE
On June 29, while asleep in her bed, devastation occurred for long time City Council President Administrative Office staffer Colia Adams-Broaddus. A rowhome next to Adam Broaddus’s had a gas explosion, which resulted in three homes being destroyed in Nicetown, including her’s.
Adams-Broaddus was saved from the burning rubble by a neighbor and rushed to Philadelphia hospital, where she is currently recovering. The family has set up an official GoFundMe page to help Adams-Broaddus on her long journey to recovery.
The link is https://www.gofundme.com/f/stand-with-colia-after-tragic-explosion
On behalf of the entire City Council family, we thank you for any support readers can provide Colia Adams Broaddus’s family.
COUNCILMEMBER JEFFERY YOUNG HELD A CEREMONIAL STREET RENAMING AND A RIBBON CUTTING ON PLAYGROUND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FIFTH COUNCIL DISTRICT THIS WEEK
Councilmember Jeffery Young, Jr. (5th District) on July 15 hosted a ribbon cutting to celebrate recent improvements to Napa Street Playground, a beloved neighborhood space in Strawberry Mansion. The event honored the community’s ongoing commitment to revitalizing public spaces for children, families, and neighbors to gather and grow.
Young also held an event on July 16 with the ceremonial street renaming of Firth Street between 15th Street and Sydenham Street as “Earl Young Way.” Young is a Philadelphia-raised drummer who rose to prominence in the early 1970s as part of The Sound of Philadelphia.
Young is best known as the founder and leader of The Trammps, who had a hit record with “Disco Inferno”. In 1979, he received a Grammy Award for Album of the Year for the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack, and he was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville in 2016.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOHNSON ANNOUNCED IMPROVEMENTS TO CONNELL PARK IN SOUTHWEST PHILADELPHIA THIS WEEK
Council President Kenyatta Johnson (2nd District), Philadelphia Parks & Recreation leadership and community residents celebrated the grand opening of the newly renovated Connell Park playground during a community ribbon-cutting celebration on July 16.
The $450,000 in improvements for the park located at 6401 Elmwood Ave. in Southwest Philadelphia was made possible through the funding of Johnson, who is committed to enhancing recreational spaces across the city.
The playground improvement project included the removal of old playground equipment and the installation of new, next generation play equipment, safety surfaces, picnic tables, and benches. These updates aim to provide a safer, more engaging, and inclusive environment for children and families to enjoy.
THE PHILADELPHIA SIXERS AND PENN MEDICINE RECENTLY REFURBISHED THE RUFUS WILLIAMS BASKETBALL COURT IN COUNCILMEMBER JAMIE GAUTHIER’S 3RD DISTRICT
The Rufus Williams basketball court in Cobbs Creek Park in West Philadelphia is a new state-of-the art outdoor basketball court thanks to the Sixers and Penn Medicine.
Representatives from the Sixers organization, Penn Medicine, and the City of Philadelphia, including City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District), were present for the ribbon-cutting which took place several weeks ago. Among those in attendance were former Sixers All Star guard and Basketball Hall of Famer Allen Iverson.
Gauthier also announced that she has secured additional safety improvements that are coming to both Cobbs Creek Park and Cobbs Creek Parkway. She secured the improvements in cooperation with Council President Johnson, Pennsylvania State House Speaker Joanna McClinton (191St State House District) and Pennsylvania State Senator Anthony Williams (8th State Senate District)
PEACE NOT GUNS MEMORIAL BASKETBALL GAME TOOK PLACE THIS WEEK
Council President Johnson, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, the Philadelphia Police Department and community leaders hosted a FREE Peace Not Guns Memorial Basketball Game on July 16 at the Vare Recreation Center in South Philadelphia.
“Our city is hurting after multiple acts of gun violence that have taken place recently, but my hope is that this event brings people together, builds trust, and unifies our neighborhoods,” Council President Johnson said.
The Peace Not Guns Memorial Basketball Game took place days after a mass shooting killed three people and left nine others injured on July 7 in the 1500 block of South Etting Street in Grays Ferry, just blocks away from the Vare Recreation Center. This event is an opportunity to exemplify Philadelphia as a city of Peace Not Guns.
Council President Johnson’s journey into public service began in 1998 with the start of his “Peace Not Guns” initiative, which was founded after the tragic murder of his cousin. It was then that he began to organize anti-gun violence events and programs with other grassroots organizations to raise awareness.
The teams that played in the game were the Philly Ballers, a team comprised of first responders from the Philadelphia Police Department, Philadelphia Fire Department, Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office, SEPTA Police and other law enforcement agencies, versus the Real Brothers Community Basketball League.
The evening also included a 3-Point Contest and an exciting Slam Dunk Contest, promoting unity, youth engagement, and a message of nonviolence.
SEVERAL COUNCILMEMBERS TRAVELED TO CHICAGO THIS MONTH FOR THE ANNUAL LOCAL PROGRESS CONFERENCE
Councilmembers Isaiah Thomas (At-Large), Jeffery Young, Jr. (5th District), Jamie Gauthier (3rd District), Rue Landau (At-Large) and Kendra Brooks (At-Large) were in Chicago recently for Local Progress’s national conference.
Local Progress is a national movement of local elected officials fighting for racial and economic justice. Local Progress Pennsylvania (LPPA) organizes local elected officials across the state to share best practices and policy solutions. LPPA currently has more than 66 members in Pennsylvania, representing 33 jurisdictions, according to the organization’s website. The Philadelphia City Councilmembers got to meet and trade ideas with elected officials from all over the country.
THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL SESSION IS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
City Council is now on summer recess from holding regular Thursday Council sessions. Council offices remain open Monday through Friday during normal business hours for constituent service requests.
The next Regular Stated City Council meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 11 at 10 a.m. Eastern Time at Philadelphia City Council Chambers, Room 400 (Fourth Floor), Philadelphia City Hall. Council is scheduled to have 11 Stated Meetings between September to December.
Tune in live on September 11 by watching Xfinity Channel 64 and Fios Channel 40 if you have cable TV in Philadelphia, and stream online at www.PHLCouncil.com/watch
