Union members rallied outside City Hall to protest the
city's sale of Philadelphia Gas Works to UIL Holdings Corp. for $1.86 million.
The protest coincided with Mayor Michael Nutter's 2015 budget address.
Keith Holmes, president of Utility Workers Union Local 686
representing 1,140 gas workers, said it's a bad deal all around.
"It isn't good for the members, it isn't good for the
customers, it isn't good for the city," said Holmes. "There's no
guarantees in there for pensions. There's no extension of our contract. There's
potential for 300 jobs to be lost that could create a safety hazard for our
city."
But it was a far cry from last year, when Nutter was so
drowned out by union protesters that he couldn't even deliver his full speech.
This time, the protests were kept outside. But that didn't stop it from being
an enthusiastic event.
The Local 686 workers had a van circulating anti-PGW sale
messages via a loudspeaker.
"Mayor Nutter wants to sell Philadelphia Gas Works and
force you to pay higher rates. Tell Mayor Nutter 'no' on the sale of PGW,"
it blared.
Source: Philadelphia
Business Journal
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