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Deadline Passes With No Deal For City's Blue Collar Union

By Tim Jimenez

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Leaders of District Council 33, representing the city's blue-collar workers, met with city negotiators for about an hour and a half late last night. Mayor Nutter had set a deadline for the union to respond to a final contract offer; a deadline which came and went.

A state mediator was present as city negotiators met with leaders of District Council 33. They met for about an hour and a half and broke close to 10:30 p.m. at the downtown Sheraton. Still no deal, and the deadline the mayor set two weeks ago passed.

Shannon Farmer, the city's lead negotiator said, "We'll evaluate our next steps. Obviously, we're disappointed they won't agree to this pension reform or these reasonable work rule changes and in fact, haven't so much as made a counter proposal on any of those issues in all these years."

Union officials say the city didn't provide the numbers to back up their argument. Some members say the city asks more from them, but can afford renovations at Love Park and an ice skating rink on Dilworth Plaza.

District Council Chief Pete Matthews said, "Is part of negotiating giving back what you earned? I don't believe so. No, no. But, we continue to negotiate on different things and we'll continue to do that."

DC 33, along with the city's white collar union, has been without a deal since 2009.

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