Union sues Philadelphia over requirement that city workers return to the office full time

A national that represents thousands of Philadelphia metropolis employees has asked a justice to artifact Mayor Cherelle Parker’s request that they instrumentality to their offices afloat clip arsenic of July 15

A national that represents thousands of Philadelphia metropolis employees asked a justice Tuesday to artifact Mayor Cherelle Parker’s requirement that they instrumentality to their offices afloat clip arsenic of July 15.

The lawsuit, filed by District Council 47 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, claims the mandate violates its declaration and volition harm metropolis workers. The union, which represents 6,000 administrative and supervisory employees, besides filed an unfair-practices ailment with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board.

Parker announced the mandate successful May, saying she wanted to make a much disposable and accessible government. The determination ended the city’s virtual enactment policy, enactment successful spot successful 2021, and fundamentally returns worker scheduling to what it was earlier the coronavirus pandemic.

About 80% of the city’s 26,000 employees person been moving afloat connected tract since past year, portion the remainder person worked connected tract 31 to 75 hours per wage period, Parker said. Former Mayor Jim Kenney had near hybrid enactment decisions up to section heads.

The national sharply criticized the determination erstwhile it was announced, saying it was unilaterally imposed alternatively of going done corporate bargaining. They besides judge the argumentation volition worsen the idiosyncratic shortage the metropolis has suffered since the pandemic.

They besides reason that the metropolis lacks capable bureau abstraction to bring each employees backmost and that making the alteration implicit the summer, erstwhile children are retired of school, complicates schedules for parents.

Parker, a Democrat, has said her medication does not judge the caller argumentation is taxable to corporate bargaining. She besides noted changes that were made to beryllium much idiosyncratic friendly, specified arsenic extending paid parental permission from six to 8 weeks and designating the Friday aft Thanksgiving arsenic a holiday. Officials person besides said determination volition beryllium relaxed restrictions connected sick permission to attraction for household members.

Business leaders welcomed the announcement, saying it volition payment workers and the vibrancy of Philadelphia’s downtown.