Why are PECO workers planning to strike?
About 600 workers, who have been hired since 2021, do not enjoy the same regular defined benefits as more tenured employees, and instead are provided a 401(k) plan that the union calls “poorly funded.”
In addition to getting those employees added to the pension rolls, the union wants the retirement benefits to be based on gross payroll instead of the current base salary structure, which does not take overtime into account.
Another sticking point is that those hired after 2014 are not eligible to participate in the retiree medical savings account plans.
Anastasi said the industry standard is to provide all workers with these retirement benefits.
The union had originally sought a 10% wage hike across the board, but said it has lowered that ask to 5.5 % for this year, followed by two years at 8% and two at 7.5%. Anastasi said they are frustrated that the company has not offered any counters, but instead, remains committed to its original offer that is far lower than the union’s current proposal. He said the offer for call center workers, 98% of whom he said are female, is lower than the rest of the majority-male workforce.
“We aren’t taking less for our women members,” he told WHYY News.
Call center employee Joy Rodriguez called the current offer unfair.
“I think it’s terrible that they don’t believe we deserve the same raise as the men out in the field,” Rodriguez said.
LeVine said their offer would provide a 20% wage hike over the five-year length of the contract for employees who work in the field and a 16% raise over five years for those who work in the call center.
“We have a very comprehensive process that looks at similar positions across the industry as well as throughout the region, and we are very competitively placed with that market analysis,” LeVine said.
Wendell Young, leader of UFCW local 1776, speaking in Washington Square Park on June 25, 2025. (Susan Phillips/WHYY)
How would customers be impacted?
PECO provides electricity to 1.7 million ratepayers in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs. It also serves about 550,000 suburban customers with natural gas.
The workers said the impending strike will leave customers served by improperly trained contractors.
“People’s lives could always be in danger when unqualified, unskilled people are working the system,” said IBEW Local 614 assistant business manager Jimmy McGill, who also works as an aerial lineman for PECO said. “It’s an aging infrastructure … and all the qualified people who respond to gas odors will be on strike as of midnight, July Fourth. It is a concern of ours, and that’s why we don’t take this lightly going on strike.”
But LeVine said the company always has a plan in place should a work stoppage occur and will utilize properly trained contractors and nonunion employees.
“We’ll seamlessly pull the trigger to act on the plan, and our customers will not see any interruption of service or delay in restoration throughout and the same safe and reliable service for our gas and electric customers that they should be used to,” she said.
How has PECO responded?
Both sides have filed unfair labor practice complaints. PECO said that while a federal mediator has been assigned to the case to aid in negotiations, “the union has not agreed to participate.”
“We think a federal mediator really would be a great option here, but for months, the union has declined that option,” LeVine said.
At the rally, Anastasi said the union would be willing to meet with the mediator.
PECO and the union are also at odds regarding each side’s commitment.
PECO said they are “committed to engaging in good-faith negotiations” that are fair to their employees and the ratepayers.
“We have requested earlier negotiation sessions and remain ready to meet at any time, including nights and weekends, but have not received a response,” PECO said in a statement. “We remain focused on continuing productive discussions and we remain ready and available to meet.”.
But Anastasi disagreed.
“And when we show up they reject every offer and make us wait eight hours and then we leave,” Anastasi said at the rally. “That’s not bargaining and it’s certainly not bargaining in good faith.”
