In today’s news and commentary, municipal workers in Philadelphia continue to strike; Democratic nominee for NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani collects union endorsements; and UFCW grocery workers in California and Colorado reach tentative agreements.

Roughly 9,000 Philadelphia municipal workers represented by AFSCME District Council 33 entered their fourth day on strike on Friday as negotiations between the union and the City of Philadelphia continue. The strike began last Tuesday after AFSCME and the city government failed to reach an agreement over a new contract, as the union contests a wage increase structure that would barely outpace inflation over the next three years. The workers are employed in a diverse range of city functions including sanitation, street maintenance, police dispatch, and water services. Mayor Cherelle Parker acknowledged on Friday that “this is a challenging time for our city right now”; despite the city setting up trash collection sites and employing temporary workers, “mountains of trash” are piling up without trash collectors on duty. The striking workers enjoyed support from a variety of celebrities on July 4th as LL Cool J and Jazmine Sullivan refused to perform at the City’s Wawa Welcome America Concert. Negotiations between AFSCME and the government carry on over the holiday weekend.

Democratic Party nominee for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani continues to collect union endorsements following his decisive victory against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on June 24th. Many of the city’s largest unions, including SEIU 32BJ and the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, chose to endorse Mamdani after supporting Cuomo during the primary, rebuffing attempts from the Cuomo campaign to persuade labor leaders to “hold off in moving towards Mr. Mamdani.” Other unions, including the New York State Nurses Association, are throwing their weight behind Mamdani after failing to endorse a candidate in the primary. UAW Region 9A and AFSCME District Council 37 endorsed Mamdani in both the primary and general elections. Mamdani’s consolidation of labor support is a promising sign for the 33-year-old democratic socialist, who will likely face a crowded general election: incumbent Mayor Eric Adams has pledged to run as an independent candidate despite his scandal-ridden term, and Cuomo continues his attempt to salvage his candidacy in the face of crumbling institutional support.

Grocery workers in Southern California and Colorado represented by UFCW both reached tentative agreements with their employers in the past week. Over 45,000 California workers, represented by a variety of UFCW locals from Santa Barbara to San Diego, work for regional grocery chains owned by national giants Albertsons and Kroger. Their tentative agreement came after the workers authorized a strike on June 11th, though a strike ultimately did not take place. Colorado grocery workers, represented by UFCW Local 7, engaged in a two-week strike at Safeway and King Soopers locations before ultimately reaching tentative agreements with their parent companies (Albertsons and Kroger). Both agreements await ratification by union membership.