Peco workers rally amid strike vote and tense negotiations

Over 100 Peco workers and supporters gathered in a parking lot in Plymouth Meeting on Saturday morning as a food truck doled out Old Original Nick’s Roast Beef sandwiches and some played cornhole.

Workers weren’t just there to enjoy the food; they were there to cast a vote and decide whether their union would authorize a strike.

Some in attendance held signs that read: “Fair contract now,” and “Ready to strike if we have to.” Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On A Prayer” could be heard playing through a speaker.

The roughly 1,500 workers represented by IBEW Local 614, which includes gas and electric field workers as well as call center employees, are seeking higher wages and improvements to benefits in a new contract.

The workers’ most recent five-year contract expired on March 31 and negotiations, which started in January, have led to some tentative agreements, a Peco spokesperson said Friday. Wages and benefits have become sticking points in bargaining, the union has said.

“We always show up when Peco needs us, and they are not showing up for our workers,” said Larry Anastasi, the union’s local president on Saturday morning in the parking lot during a news conference. “We intend to get a strike authorization vote today, and one day, and one day soon, you’re going to hear from us again.”

Passing a strike authorization vote does not mean workers will necessarily walk off the job — unions can pass the vote to gain leverage in negotiations.

Ahead of the Saturday vote, Peco spokesperson Candice Womer called a strike authorization vote a “procedural step.”

“We respect the role of the union and the collective bargaining process, and we remain committed to engaging in good-faith negotiations to reach an agreement that is fair to our employees, while supporting the long-term needs of our customers and the communities we serve,” Womer said in a statement on Friday.

Voting was scheduled to take place on Saturday, with the results available that evening. If workers vote to authorize a strike, and they do walk off the job, it would be the first time employees do so in the company’s history.

» READ MORE: Here’s everything to know about the potential Peco worker strike

On Saturday, Peco spokesperson Matt Rankin said the company was well-prepared and had “contingency staffing plans in place to ensure that our customers’ electric and natural gas services are not affected.”

In 2004, Peco workers voted to join the union and, according to union president Anastasi, then ratified their first contract with the company in 2007.

It’s the first time in the union’s history that a contract with Peco has expired while another one is not already agreed upon.

Since bargaining began earlier this year, 17 negotiating sessions have taken place, all in-person, noted Womer. The most recent one was on May 27, and the next session is planned for June 3, with additional dates scheduled in June and July.

Negotiations turned ugly last month, as both the union and Peco filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board.

Womer said this week that Peco’s focus “continues to be on productive, ongoing negotiations.”

Workers are seeking a uniform retirement plan in a new contract, higher wages, and improvements in healthcare benefits. Currently, some workers have a pension, but roughly 600 of them who joined the union in recent years do not. Among those who do have one, there are also different plans.

“Peco continues to offer competitive wages and benefits that compare favorably with industry peers across the region,” Womer said, adding that the company also provides training programs that support performance and safety.

Linemen, who are some of the union’s highest-paid members, made an average of more than $243,500 last year in wages, including overtime, the company has said.

Joy Rodriguez, a Peco customer service representative, was ready to strike, they said on Saturday.

“Me and my colleagues will be here fighting for what we deserve until the company comes to the table and agrees to treat us fairly moving forward,” said Rodriguez.

Danny Bauder, president of the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO, called out on Saturday morning to those who had assembled in the parking lot for the news conference: “What do we want?” The crowd responded, “Contract!”

“When do we want it?” Bauder followed up. “Now,” the crowd responded.

» READ MORE: These Peco employees do dangerous work at all hours. Their union is pushing for a better retirement package.

In Southeastern Pennsylvania, Peco provides natural gas to 553,000 customers and electricity to 1.7 million.

Last year, Peco brought in $814 million in net income, a 48% increase from the previous year, parent company Exelon reported. In March, amid contract negotiations, the company requested a rate increase that would have affected gas and electricity customers, citing upgrades needed, including because of demand. It later withdrew the request amid public backlash.

The union contract negotiations have also been happening against the backdrop of AI data centers being proposed throughout the region, which are expected to drive up energy demand, and as Peco’s CEO stepped down from his role.