No Progress Reported After Brief Round Of Negotiations Between Nutter Administration, DC 33
By Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Another round of negotiations between the Nutter Administration and District Council 33, the largest municipal workers union seemed to go precisely nowhere Friday -- and it's unclear when they'll try again.
The talks covered a three-hour span at the Sheraton Hotel, but the amount of time both sides were in one room actually negotiating totaled only about ten minutes.
"We were hoping that the union would come in with some new proposals for us today," said Shannon Farmer, the city's negotiator. "They haven't. And we just asked them to get in touch with us when they have some new proposals."
The session came three days after the smaller white collar District Council 47 reached a deal with the mayor (See Related Story). DC 33 chief Pete Matthews said that affect doesn't his members.
"I don't talk about the DC 47 deal," he said. "I just don't talk about that deal. 47 is 47, and 33 is 33."
No date set for a resumption of the talks.
Next Thursday brings Mayor Nutter's new budget address to City Council, and Matthews vowed that members would attend and let their displeasure be known.
Last year, members of several unions shouted the mayor down, forcing him to complete his speech in his own reception room (See Related Story).
The union has been working without a contract since 2009.
