Striking Around
What Could A Mamdani Administration Accomplish?
The summer’s major strike continues, led by 9,000 municipal workers in Philadelphia demanding fair wages for their work. Shockingly, it was reported today that Mayor Cherelle Parker has no plans to even meet with the union—ensuring that the strike will continue. Wages for sanitation workers are as low as $46,000 per year. Parker is offering raises of less than 7 percent, and has stated that “If that means I'm a one-term mayor, then so be it.” The Philadelphia Inquirer has reported on the paucity of national media coverage of the strike relative to the last one in 1986, while pro-union social media content has gone viral. One key factor in the strike: DC 33 has a vibrant internal political culture, with internal union elections being hotly contested. This internal democracy has likely set the stage for the largest strike of 2025 so far. Some additional AFSCME workers in the city’s white and pink-collar union, DC 47, are considering joining the strike.
News and Views
Colorado’s Stand Up Strike ends with a deal with Safeway/Albertsons. Colorado Public Radio reports that the TA has “fully funded healthcare benefits, fully funded pension benefits for the cycle of the contract, "strong" wage increases and several other provisions,” according to the union.
The Teamsters sanitation worker strike in Massachusetts continues, with garbage piling up.
JW Mason at Dissent looks at what a Mamdani mayoral administration could accomplish.
Today’s Win
40 Abundance Food Co-op workers in Rochester, NY, have organized with Workers United.