Rapper LL Cool J is taking a stand and exhibiting help to hanging metropolis employees in Philadelphia.
The Queens rapper took to his private Instagram account Thursday night time and introduced he wouldn’t be showing on the metropolis’s 4th of July celebration live performance Friday.
“I by no means ever need to disappoint my followers, and particularly in Philadelphia. Ya’ll imply an excessive amount of to me, however there’s completely no approach that I may carry out, cross a choosing line and decide up cash after I know that individuals are on the market combating for a residing wage,” he stated within the video.
AFSCME District Council 33, which consists of 9,000 metropolis staff and is Philadelphia’s largest metropolis employees’ union, walked off the job for the primary time in 39 years Tuesday. The union is in search of an 8 p.c pay enhance yearly over a four-year timeframe and healthcare advantages for all staff.
The union praised the rapper for standing in solidarity with employees by way of a put up on Instagram.
Mayor Cherelle Parker posted a video on social media saying town provided the union a 12 p.c pay enhance over the course of her time period and that healthcare advantages wouldn’t be taken from the employees. Parker took workplace in 2024 and is up for reelection in 2028, in order that works out to a few 4 p.c elevate per 12 months, half of what the union is asking for.
“District Council 33’s members contribute as a lot blood, sweat, and tears as does anybody else,” the union’s demand letter reads. “All of us make town work. Our contract should mirror that actuality.”
District Council 33 represents a variety of metropolis employees from trash collectors, sanitation employees, and 911 dispatchers, to crossing guards at public colleges. Because of the Philadelphia strike, town’s trash assortment might be working on a “modified capability,” in response to Parker.
“There might be no residential trash assortment or recycling efficient Tuesday, July 1. We encourage residents, and we ask you to please chorus from inserting any trash or recycling out for curbside assortment till additional discover,” Parker stated in her video.
Metropolis management is within the course of of building 63 momentary trash drop-off places all through Philadelphia. The places will open at 5 p.m. on Tuesday and might be open from 6 a.m. by way of 10 p.m., although they are going to be closed for the Fourth of July vacation. The town has additionally requested individuals to not deliver any free trash to the drop-off websites and to solely deliver as much as 8 baggage of trash at a time. An inventory of obtainable drop-off websites is offered on the sanitation division’s web site.
Past sanitation, the Philadelphia strike may lead to delays in 911 calls. To handle the scarcity, town will transfer 200 officers into the 911 name facilities, although they’ve warned the strike might lead to delays of 911 calls being answered. The town has urged callers to not hold up because the calls will finally be answered.
, I don’t know the interior workings of Philadelphia’s budgeting, however for the security of everybody, I hope they may give town employees their cash sooner relatively than later.
Whereas they’ve reached an deadlock, Parker affirmed town’s dedication to negotiating a contract that will hopefully deliver the Philadelphia strike to a swift finish. “The Metropolis of Philadelphia stays dedicated to reaching a good and fiscally accountable contract with our municipal employees who’re part of DC 33,” Parker stated in an announcement addressing the strike. “We’re prepared, prepared, and capable of resume negotiations with the union at their comfort.”
Apparently sufficient, the Philadelphia strike will not be the one one occurring proper as trash collectors in Massachusetts are hanging for the same purpose. The Teamsters Native 25 have stated Republic Companies, the corporate they’re employed by way of, has “refused to offer employees a good deal, pushing them to the picket line.” Republic is at present concerned in a number of labor disputes with Teamsters unions throughout the nation, which may lead to trash assortment being impacted nationwide.
If something, each the Massachusetts and Philadelphia strikes present why metropolis employees are so vital and deserve a residing wage. They actually hold town working and do the unglamorous work that usually doesn’t get celebrated. On the finish of the day, somebody has to select up the trash. Simply because it’s not thought-about a “dream job” doesn’t imply it’s one with out worth.
SEE ALSO:
Black-Led Unions That Superior Staff’ Rights
How Labor Unions Issue In The 2024 Election
LL Cool J Cancels Philly Present In Assist of Putting Metropolis Staff
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