RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT AFSCME WORKERS IN PHILADELPHIA

Whereas:  The Philadelphia AFSCME workers provide a dedicated base of residential taxes to the City of Philadelphia.

Whereas:  The Philadelphia AFSCME workers provide a dedicated base of wage taxes to the City of Philadelphia.

Whereas:  The Philadelphia AFSCME workers provide essential services to the residents and businesses of the City of Philadelphia.

Whereas:  The Philadelphia AFSCME workers are represented by AFSCME District Council 47 and AFSCME District Council 33 and as such are members of the Philadelphia AFL-CIO and the PA AFL-CIO.

Whereas:  The City of Philadelphia has not negotiated a contract with the two AFSCME Unions since 2008.

Whereas: The Philadelphia AFSCME workers have not received a wage increase since 2007 nor have they received a Healthcare increase since 2007.

Whereas:  The Pennsylvania Cost of Living increased in 2008 by 2.3% and 2.8 % in 2009 and healthcare costs have increased by double digits.

 Whereas: The Philadelphia AFSCME workers have continued to provide quality services to the citizens and business of the City of Philadelphia despite the continued layoffs and threats of layoffs.

Whereas:  The city of Philadelphia and the Mayor have approved a budget with 25 Million dollars in givebacks in benefits (Health care & pension)  for last year and for the next five years for an additional amount of 125 million dollars for  a total of one hundred fifty million dollars ($150,000,000.).

Whereas: AFSCME provided the City of Philadelphia with several revenue enhancement ideas which included collecting thirty eight million dollars ($38,000,000.) per year with the PILOT Program as well as thirty eight million dollars ($38,000,000.) by converting the Wage Tax to an income tax as well as one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000.) as well as by collecting 10% of the billion dollars ($1,000,000,000.) in bail money owed to the city.

Whereas:  AFSCME provided the City of Philadelphia with several cost savings ideas such as saving twenty one million dollars ($21,000,000.) per year by releasing some of the non-violent sentenced offenders from jail and placing them on probation/parole and in rehabilitation or re-entry programs,

Whereas: The Philadelphia AFL-CIO and the PA AFL-CIO worked with AFSCME and the state legislature to pass House Bill 1828 which requested economic relief for the City of Philadelphia by permitting the city to defer the payments the pension for city workers for 2 years and extended the amortization of pension payments that the City sought in order to avoid a draconian impact upon the City and the region.

Therefore be it resolved that The Philadelphia AFL-CIO and all of its affiliated unions does not support the city using the budget to reduce essential city services or to cut benefits for AFSCME workers in the City of Philadelphia

Be it further resolved that The Philadelphia AFL-CIO and all of its affiliated unions are opposed to the city of Philadelphia applying the provisions of the budget in a manner that does not includ funding for fair contracts for the AFSCME unions. 

Be it further resolved that The Philadelphia AFL-CIO and all of its affiliated unions urge all of its members to stand with the AFSCME unions in their fight to obtain a fair contract.

And be it further resolved that The Philadelphia AFL-CIO and all of its affiliated unions urge all Philadelphia politicians to support the municipal workers of the City Philadelphia in their attempt to obtain a fair contract from the City of Philadelphia.

And be it finally resolved that The Philadelphia AFL-CIO and all of its affiliated unions send a strong message to all of the Philadelphia politicians that we will not support any politicians who will not support city of Philadelphia AFSCME workers in their struggle to obtain a fair contract.