The North Carolina Public Service Workers Union, UE Local 150 stands in solidarity with the Philadelphia city workers, members of AFSCME District Council 33 after their eight and a half day strike for living wages.
It is unbelievable that in Philadelphia: “The City of Brotherly Love”, members of Philadelphia City Workers earn an average annual salary of $46,000, a pay rate more than $2,000 below Philadelphia’s “living wage” according to the (M.I.T) Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Living Wage Calculator. Even LL Cool J recognized the significance of your actions by cancelling his Fourth of July show.
We know, from our own experiences here in North Carolina, where collective bargaining is illegal and striking is a first class misdemeanor for public employees, that sometimes you just have to stop… and do nothing. This action, or the lack thereof, has in effect that brings people to the table. They understand that “The City Works Because We Do” and it makes your message that much more clear: “No Cash! No Trash!” We are inspired by your sacrifices, strength and solidarity made during the strike.
In September 2023, members of our Local, Durham city workers, staged a 6 day stand down in the Solid Waste Department that resulted in an immediate $5,000 bonus and $11,000-$14,000 wage increases in spring of 2024. Effective July 1 this year, Durham city workers will make a minimum of $21.90, and have an average worker wage slightly over the MIT’s Living Wage Calculator of $24.87 per hour.
Our members in the City of Charlotte just won a $24/hr minimum wage scheduled to start later this year. This came after three years of double-digit wage increases won after rallies, speak-outs at city council budget hearings, shaming public officials and certainly public pressure. We united with others in our community to form a People’s Budget Coalition. Our minimum of $24/hr is similarly $2,000 below the MIT Living Wage, however, our average is a bit over the Living Wage.
One of your members, Saida Byrd, a 311 employee picketing at City Hall on Tuesday, told news that, even with a second job, she lives “overdraft to overdraft.” We know this reality. In Durham, Charlotte, Raleigh and all across North Carolina housing costs have skyrocketed and many of our members work second jobs and still can’t afford to make ends meet.
We must continue to find ways to connect our public sector union members together and take actions all across this country. When one city wins, we all win. Together we set the standard of what our industries pay us. If we continue to flex the power collectively and demand that our unions work together for the benefit of us, we can secure the real future that we are fighting for. This is not a fight we can’t win. It’s just a damn shame that we gotta keep having it. We look forward to discussing with you all the movement started by the United Auto Workers (UAW) and Chicago Teachers’ Union for a national General Strike and workplace actions on May 1, 2028, an election year, to impact the economy.
Sure, the hills are not as high, and the curves are not as steep, yet our industry still inherits the same problems. We must challenge the economic and political systems that continue to shift billions into the pockets of the corporations and wealthy, while working people like us struggle. In fact, the NC Legislature is racing to make our state the first with a 0% corporate tax rate! Public workers are overworked and underpaid, our children go to schools that are underfunded and we are subject to poor public health care systems disguised as benefits that often cost us more than they are worth.
We look forward to seeing you win this good fight. It’s most unfortunate that the people we love to serve, and depend on us everyday for our services, must suffer behind the policies and politics of their elected officials. Don’t worry yourselves, the people truly understand because unlike those politicians, we show up for them everyday.
In Power, Peace and Solidarity,
Executive Board of North Carolina Public Service Workers Union, UE Local 150
“No Cash! No Trash!”
July 9, 2025