Lawrence McGlynn

PECO Workers and their union representatives held a press conference on Thursday announcing their intention to strike if their demands are not met by the company. Lawrence Anastasi, President and Business Manager of Local 614, the union representing the electrical workers who, amongst other things, perform maintenance and repair work on power lines and other electrical infrastructure, said the union would go on strike at 12:01 AM on July 4th if their contractual demands are not met.

On September first, the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD), with the full support of the advocate appointed by the Water Rate Board, the body that sets rates, will raise rates again. This will be the 7th consecutive year that PWD has, without public input, negotiated a rate increase with the rate board’s advocate. The effect is that rates have risen by 52%. Far outpacing inflation and creating an ever-increasing burden on working people in Philadelphia.

Councilmember Rue Landau introduced legislation “to establish restrictions on the collection of convenience or processing fees via online payment portals and provide for remedies.” The legislation would regulate so-called “pay-to-pay” fees, which are assessed when a customer makes a payment through a particular online channel, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.