Phila. blue-collar workers back Street for mayor

First the firefighters. Now the sanitation workers.

Philadelphia's largest municipal union, representing 9,900 blue-collar employees working without a contract since July 2009, enthusiastically endorsed T. Milton Street Sr. for mayor Tuesday night over Michael Nutter.

"It's a vote of confidence in my ability," Street said at the Walnut Street headquarters of District Council 33 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, whose members include trash haulers and workers from the city's water, recreation, health, and fleet departments.

Street addressed a gathering of the union's 250 delegates before he was overwhelmingly backed in a voice vote, DC 33 president Herman "Pete" Matthews said.

"They obviously were impressed with what he said," Matthews said.

"I don't feel the mayor has supported us, and my membership doesn't feel the mayor has supported us - especially in light of all the money we have saved the mayor over the years," Matthews said.

Nutter was not invited to the gathering. Matthews said Nutter did not ask for the union's endorsement; Street did.

That makes two municipal unions behind Street, who was recently released from federal custody after serving 26 months on three misdemeanor counts of failure to file a tax return, and adds intrigue to what was supposed to be a cakewalk for Nutter.

The 2,100-member city firefighters union announced Thursday it was lining up behind Street, largely in response to the mayor's 2009 decision to deactivate seven companies and appeal a new arbitration award that included a 9 percent raise over four years and exempted firefighters from furloughs.

Both Matthews' union and District Council 47, the city's white-collar union, have been working without a contract for nearly two years.

Street has been invited to address District Council 47 when it meets April 26 to endorse a candidate.

The fourth city union, Lodge 5 of the Fraternal Order of Police, also will not back Nutter for a second term - although it is not backing Street, either.

Nutter would not be endorsed because he wants to eliminate the controversial DROP pension program, whose participants include many officers, FOP president John McNesby said.

Three weeks ago, Nutter's labor-relations officials met with Matthews and his union representatives in the first formal bargaining session held since 2009. The sides did not come any closer to reaching a deal.