Phila. unions protest Nutter's mayoral event
Making no reference to protesters outside the Westin Hotel, Mayor Nutter welcomed 32 mayors and more than 200 other municipal officials Thursday to a three-day conference on innovation in city got government. The "Mayors' Innovation Summit," cosponsored by the city, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Temple University's Fox School of Business, is designed to let cities share ideas and accomplishments in using technology to improve city services.
Making no reference to protesters outside the Westin Hotel, Mayor Nutter welcomed 32 mayors and more than 200 other municipal officials Thursday to a three-day conference on innovation in city got government. The "Mayors' Innovation Summit," cosponsored by the city, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Temple University's Fox School of Business, is designed to let cities share ideas and accomplishments in using technology to improve city services.
In opening remarks, Nutter touted some of his administration's own steps, including an open data initiative to share government data with the public, a 311 smartphone application for citizens to report problems and ask questions of city government, and creation of an Office of New Urban Mechanics to try to spur innovation throughout city departments.
The mayor said that the city was "slowly dragging ourselves into the latter part of the 20th century."
Meanwhile, outside the event the electricians union's Ratmobile was parked outside the hotel, along with demonstrators from city unions, particularly the nonuniformed city workers looking for their first mew contract since 2009. There were no signs of protest inside .
The Unions have pledged to make a spectacle of their displeasure with Nutter at the Innovation Summit, which he is hosting as president of the U.S Conference of Mayors.
Contact Bob Warner at 215-854-5885 or bwarner@phillynews.com