Nutter will ask court to let him impose terms on DC 33
After years of stalemate, the Nutter administration on Friday asked a judge to allow the city to impose his "final offer" on the city's largest union.
Nutter will ask court to let him impose terms on DC 33
AFSCME District Council 33 and 47 union members protest contract talks with an inflatable rat near the home of Mayor Nutter Thursday night, January 31, 2013. YONG KIM / Staff Photographer
After years of stalemate, the Nutter administration on Friday asked a judge to allow the city to impose his "final offer" on the city's largest union.
Nutter is seeking permission from a Common Pleas Court judge for the city to implement the plan he presented to District Council 33 two weeks ago. The plan includes incremental pay raises in exchange for cost reductions in overtime rules, possible furloughs, a less generous pension plan for new hires and other changes.
"Union leaders have held our public employees and the taxpayers hostage," Nutter said at a press conference. "We are no closer to an agreement today than we were four years ago."
DC 33 President Pete Matthews said that his union is still willing to bargain and that Nutter's desire to implement terms unilaterally is typical of the way he negotiates.
"That does not surprise me. I’ve said it in the past: He tries to act like a dictator. He dictates terms," Matthews said.
It looks like an uphill battle for the administration. In 1993, a Commonwealth Court ruled that the Housing Authority was not allowed to impose terms on its workers as long as they didn't strike, and the state Supreme Court took a pass on the case.
But Shannon Farmer, the city's chief negotiator, said Friday that the facts of this case - DC 33 has been without a contract for years, not months like the PHA workers - will lead to a favorable decision.
Nutter says an overhaul of pensions and work rules for city workers is necessary for the city's financial health.
Union leaders, however, contend the city can pay for its workers since it balances its budget every year and can still afford vanity projects like the Dilworth Plaza renovation outside City Hall, which will cost the city tens of millions of dollars.
Comments (33)
The City has plenty of money for everything except the people that show up day in and day out to keep in running.
In the meantime, employees are asked to do more with less. Employees have given up enough over the years, it is payback time.— Moe Chismo- Don't like it? Go on strike. Lets see if any of the DC33 mouth breathers are missed.
Go ahead. Make my day— hannibal barca - Ww know the court of judges in philadelphia are corrupted just as the mayor nutter himself.. Nutter is the devil and if I was pete matthews and cathy scott I would gather my workers and walk.. If pete and cathy continue to lie in bed with nutter, the workers should overthrow their president. The cityworkers have nothing to lose, they say if they walk they lose their bargaining rights... look like that was lost 5 years ok.. Show mayor nutter how philly woul dlook with the unions on the job— noncents
- Nutter is totally without ethics. Get rid of your cronies before coming after the employees that actually keep the City running. Just how many Deputy this or Deputy that does one mayor need? Why all of the outside consultants? Isn't there one decent firm within the City's borders that could provide advice at a cheaper price? Why is this man allowed to continually rape the City Charter, the Civil Service Regulations and the various Court Orders that have been decided against him? When will the Citizens rise up and impeach this scoundrel?— bad joe s
- Fair Pay for ALL!!!!— rikk48
- And what is "fair" pay for people with little in the way of education or marketable skills? — jfar86
- Although not a fan of unions, I do not want the court to agree to this. Doing so could lead to a nasty strike. And that could really take a toll on the workers and their families. I typically like about 80% of what N utter does with the city, however he just doesn't play fair with the unions. It just comes off that it's his way or the highway. And again, I am almost anti-union, but no matter what situation you can't take away from workers. To ask for givebacks is almost immoral.— Opined_and_Fined
Stop top appointed employees from bilking the pension plan!- Go after the Civil Service workers, but protect and hire more of your hugh 5 and 6 figues salary drones. That's a class act. We know now that those folks are gunning for pensions for life. Imagine, they can get a do nothing job, get vested in 5 years (usually buying the back years), resign a year or two into their required employment and start collecting benefits. Know Nutter, they may be getting lifetime medical benfits too-- wrapped up in those non-Civilk Service contracts that he "arranges" with the dronwes and the pension board. This is all accomplished with your tax dollars. Ain't that nice? The Pension Board needs to be looked at by investigators to find how these people are manipulating or evading the requirements to earn any pension. If I'm wrong--tell me.— oblekr
- Czar Nutty has spoken...LOL. Yet, he brokered a deal to give Ackerman $1M in free money for the terrific job she did! It's always sunny in Philadelphia for the few.— ricciaje
- This Mayor is unfair! He wants to give raises that won't even cover all the concessions he's taking. He wants to take but give nothing in return!!!! REALLY!!!!!! WE NEED TO EAT! WE NEED TO LIVE!!!! This man has more administration than the PRESIDENT of the US and pays them well. I never saw such a mayor before in my life!!!— RightsForCityWorkers
- the mayor is everything but a mayor he talk about saving the city trying to break up the union that all is is doing i dont see him taking to cut back on his pay he say all the politians pay raises are auto and he cant stop them that needs to changed talking about chance start there
— gmoney9 - Wants the courts to do things when it's in his FAVOR but takes his ball home when things are not. PUNK.— phillygtown
- City workers don't want the furlough plan or to lose any benefits because, why should they? There's nothing good in his proposal for the employees - it's all givebacks. Are pensions a thing of the past for workers? When employees make only enough to pay bills, feed their children, maybe repair the broken water heater, etc., where are they supposed to get that extra cash that wealthier folks think they should have to invest in 401k's and IRA's, etc.? Philadelphia would have more money if they knew how to bring business here, instead of it all migrating to places like King of Prussia on the Route 202 corridor. So, now, keep turning even your city employees into paupers and you'll have a shell of a city. You'll have Detroit.— Yob
- Also nutter need to stop with the bloated paychecks to outside people. Like cindy christian from CHOP on the citys payroll to do exactly what ??? NOthing. Christian gets a big check from CHOP (full time) and the city doing basically nothing, only to be consulted for a high profile case.. Nutter also hire so many others to do less than part time work. Why should the workers suffer— noncents
- If you patt nutter on the back and says good job, you '' be on his payroll! If youre in the trenches and the valleys, you could kiss a decent wage goodbye.. Nutter is the true essence of 1%. This man has DC fooled especially pres, obama. If obama only remeber Nutter was for Hillary in 2008, but nutter is willing to play politics until it land him in a pile of dog sh*7%6$t— noncents
- The Commonwealth appellate courts decided this issue years ago. Nutter will fail.— anti-tax
- The cost of government has to brought under control. Here is the first step. There are many more can be taken. The pain now is less than the pain will be if no action is taken.— Wildman Bill
- Let's take it to court like the police and firefighters! He keeps losing but never gets the hint. He owes and it's time to pay up.— 2thru
- @hannible you have the right name .youll be coming over the mountain again but this time it will be trash so you can feed your pet rats .bring it on.....— cityslicker
- "Get rid of your cronies before coming after the employees that actually keep the City running." You mean like the traffic court criminals? Like Nutter's guy at the airport with the $87K/year 'job'? THOSE slobs that 'keep the city running'? Yeah, we sure can't afford to do without those union goons.— b,ill at,kins
- i hope the city wins,city workers dont do 8 hours work for 8 pay anyway— copter 3
- How about imposing a mass layoff of these slugs. You could post the jobs over the weekend and have 40,000 applicants lined up on Monday morning.— TonyMarino
- Maybe someone should start the recall process if he is incompetent and unfit to effectively lead.— IceCold
- hANNIBAL YOU HAVE NO CLUE OF WHAT YOURE ASKING FOR... This city would be shut down .... but hey! Pete gather your troops and go!!!!!!! strike!— noncents
- This may be the first step of many from a second term, nothing to lose but wants to do the right thing, elected official. If the court allows the mayor to proceed, he may next pursue changes in the police and fire contracts, esp related to new hires. While city salaries may be fair, city taxpayers cannot afford the bloated benefits, DROP, and pensions. They either get curtailed, or we become the next Detroit. Make no mistake about it.— misterpond
- STOP raising taxes...we are already have the biggest tax burden of any city in the nation.— flyers2thecup
- @b,ill at,kins the traffic court and any other court employees for that matter are not part of dc 33 or dc47. the municipal court employees are under the first judicial district not the city. neither is the guy who got the airport job. that was a political crony who got a patronage job. please get you facts straight and stop posting gibberish— ihatenewyorkers
- A bit of a desperate move, desparate man?. He has PICA coming up soon, the past 4 - 5 year budgets were fairy tales budgets. Although PICA, what are they? nothing, no backbone really.— uandwhosearmy
- The only mistake DC 33 President Pete Matthews's made above in his remarks was putting the word 'negotiates' and Nutter in the same sentence! Negotiations imply give and take by both sides, which is something not put into practice by the city or reported on either...— dtmcgraw68
- Again, here is Nutter wasting the taxpayer's money on a lawsuit. He has yet to implement the terms of the arbitrator in the case of the firefighters contract, and is challenging the reopening of the police union as provided for in their contract signed by the city. It's time to revisit the Mayor's misuse of funds.— gb
- Nutter has done nothing for this city. His lip service only amounts to double talk. He wants this issue to be handled by the courts so that he won't have to deal with it anymore. The next Mayor will. The only thing he has done for this city is hire all his friends and raise taxes.— DEBBY1958
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Chris Brennan, a native Philadelphian and graduate of Temple University, joined the Daily News in 1999. He has written about SEPTA, the Philadelphia School District, the legalization of casino gambling, state government, the mayor, the governor, City Council and political campaigns. E-mail tips to brennac@phillynews.com
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
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Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
Follow Dave on Twitter.
Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
Follow Jan on Twitter
Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
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