Unions urge Council to use reported $1.2 billion surplus to fill vacancies, upgrade facilities

Council heard repeated calls from municipal union leaders and city employees to direct money into staffing and operational needs rather than outsourcing or leaving positions vacant. Jennifer Reed, president of DC47 Local 2186, said the city’s reported $1.2 billion surplus is “built on the backs of social workers carrying triple caseloads and librarians working in failing buildings,” and urged the council to invest in workers and facilities.

Speakers representing District Council 33 and DC47 described chronic vacancies across departments — streets, parks and recreation, libraries and prisons — that they said have driven costly contracting and reduced service quality. Greg Waldman, a city planner who testified as a union member, said Streets Department vacancies are roughly 20% department‑wide and recommended increasing the labor reserve to allow collective bargaining for competitive wages.

Frontline employees gave concrete examples: Katherine Martin, a first‑level supervisor at the Nicetown‑Tioga Free Library branch, said her location has eight staff but three vacancies and no digital resource specialist, limiting computer classes and digital literacy programs. Esther Jones, a parks and recreation worker, urged dedicated funding so every rec center receives security cameras and site‑specific emergency plans.

Union leaders also pushed for pilot municipal guards at rec centers, investments in HVAC and capital repairs, and the conversion of recurring vacancies into long‑term civil service positions rather than contractor roles. Christopher Snider of the Department of Prisons argued that investing in municipal workers and re‑entry services would reduce long‑term costs and recidivism.

Council did not vote on any item during the hearing. The public testimony signaled strong labor pressure to reallocate budget priorities ahead of final passage of the FY27 operating and capital budgets later in the process.