PHILADELPHIA – Thousands of Philadelphia city workers are about to walk off the job, and the city’s so-called labor union will vote to authorize a strike.

Many of those workers demonstrated at City Hall Wednesday night calling on Mayor Cherelle Parker to meet their demands.

The mass gathering that caused police to shut down traffic around City Hall in the afternoon rush hour consisted of everyone from city sanitation staff to police dispatchers.

District Council 33, known as the city’s blue-collar workers union, wants to see more green in the Parker Administration’s offering.

Tyreek Jackson, a city worker, expressed the workers’ sentiments.

“We don’t have enough money to pay the bills. We just want a fair contract; we want to sit down. If this is Philadelphia, we should all get paid well, and now we don’t,” he said. saying.

“Our money is spent in Philadelphia. We live in Philadelphia and we love Philadelphia. How about you show us the money?” added Fred Gillespie, another city worker.

Shawn McGeever, also a city worker, made it clear that Philadelphia needs these workers.

“Philadelphia works because we do it. Without a contract there is no peace,” he said.

The union says the one-year extension offer tabled by negotiators two weeks ago amounts to just $50 more per pay period, a far cry from keeping up with inflation.

“$50 doesn’t cover anything these days,” said one worker.

When a voice vote was taken on whether to give the union the go-ahead to call a strike, it was an overwhelming “yes.” When asked about any “no’s,” there was silence.

Greg Boulware, president of District Council 33, outlined the next steps.

“We will return to our union headquarters to have an official strike vote in about a week. An official strike vote will be held at the union headquarters next week and then we will notify the city that our intention is to go on strike. In case that the city will not come back with an offer that is respectable enough for our members to consider accepting,” Boulware said.

Soon, the city’s largest labor union and the largest transit workers union could go on strike, which could lead to everything from garbage trucks to buses to busy street department crews walking out. the streets and go on strike.

The Parker administration issued the following statement on the matter:

“It is not our place to discuss the union’s tactics or strategies. We remain confident in what we have negotiated throughout this year with all the other unions that represent our municipal workers, and we believe that we will be able to find an amicable resolution with the District Council 33. leadership and membership too.”