Thousands of Philadelphia city workers are back in the office full time after a judge denied a union’s request to block the strike Mayor Cherelle Parker’s Demand that they return.
District Council 47 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees had accused the city, claiming the mandate violates the contract and would harm city employees. The union, which represents 6,000 administrative and supervisory workers, has also filed an unfair practices complaint with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board, which is pending.
A two-day hearing on the lawsuit was held last week, which concluded Friday evening with the judge ruling that the city could impose the mandate, requiring workers to return to the office on Monday.
Parker announced the mandate in May, saying she wanted to create a more visible and accessible government. The decision ends the city’s virtual work policy, which was implemented in 2021, and essentially returns employee scheduling to what it was before the coronavirus pandemic.
About 80% of the city’s 26,000 employees have been working full-time on-site since last year, while the rest have been working 31 to 75 hours per pay period on-site, Parker said. Former Mayor Jim Kenney had left decisions about hybrid work to department heads.
The union sharply criticized the decision when it was announced, saying it was imposed unilaterally rather than through collective bargaining. The union also believes the policy will worsen the city’s pandemic-era shortage of workers.
It also says the city doesn’t have enough office space to accommodate all employees and that making the change in the summer, when children are off school, would complicate schedules for parents.
Parker, a Democrat, has said her administration does not believe the new policy is subject to collective bargaining. She also noted changes that were made to be more employee-friendly, such as extending paid parental leave from six to eight weeks and designating the Friday after Thanksgiving as a holiday. Officials have also said there will be relaxed restrictions on sick leave to care for family members.
Business leaders are pleased with the announcement, saying it is good for workers and the vibrancy of downtown Philadelphia.