PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A strike by cafeteria workers and climate staff in the Philadelphia School District has been averted.
The tentative agreement on a four-year deal was reached Thursday night. The decision comes just two days before the current contract with Unite Here Local 634 is set to expire, says union President Nicole Hunt.
"It's amazing,” she said, “we went down to the wire last night. We negotiated until after 7 o'clock … but it was worth it."
The agreement would give members of Unite Here Local 634, who currently make $15.50 per hour, a raise of $4.60 an hour over the four-year deal.
Hunt says her 1,900 members were ready to begin rolling strikes after the current contract expires Saturday night.
"We had to say, like, if we don't stand up and do what's right, the district is going to continue to undervalue — and when they first came off, to offer us a 1% raise."
District Spokeswoman Monique Braxton says the deal reflects the district's commitment to its cafeteria workers and climate staff.
"We're looking forward to important increases in wages and investments and additional training, as well as equipment for our employees," Braxton said.
Hunt says negotiations had stalled until three weeks ago when the union held a rally to make its demands public.