Published: September 28, 2009

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Public school workers and the Philadelphia Joint Board of Workers United/SEIU called on the mayor and city council to investigate potential wage and hour violations that could total $4.3 million in back pay by the end of this school year. Most of the 2,300 food service workers and noon time aides that keep the city's school children healthy and safe earn well below the minimum pay set by the Philadelphia 21st Century Minimum Wage and Benefits Standard. The law, enacted in 2005, requires the city to pay municipal workers and contractors 150 percent of the federal minimum wage.

"We feed Philly's kids, but barely earn enough to buy groceries, pay bills and make rent," said Claudette Honer, a Philadelphia Food Service worker. "I'm glad the PJB [Philadelphia Joint Board] Workers United and SEIU are standing up with us and making sure we get paid what we ought to be paid."

On average under their Unite Here Local 634 contract, Philadelphia school food service workers and noon time aides make $9.52 an hour, which is $1.36 below the minimum pay set by the Philadelphia standard. Some workers make $1.60 less than required. The Philadelphia Joint Board, Workers United estimates that the School District may owe $2.2 million to approximately 1,900 employees for hours worked from 2007-2009 and could owe an additional $2.1 million by the end of this school year if workers wages are not raised to the Philadelphia minimum wage standard.

The purpose of the law, as stated in the City Code, is to "assure that as many employees as possible within the City of Philadelphia earn an hourly wage that enables them to live with more dignity and increased economic self-sufficiency."

Cafeteria Workers and Noon Time Aides are the lowest paid workers in the school district. In contrast, school janitors, who are members of 32BJ SEIU make $8 an hour more on average under their contracts than the food service workers.

Unfortunately, for the food service workers and noon time aides the school district and their current union representative, Unite Here, Local 634, did not assure the workers were getting the wages set forth in the Philadelphia law.

"Philadelphia school workers give so much to our children and our communities," said Lynn Fox, Manager of the Philadelphia Joint Board of Workers United/SEIU, a labor union that seeks to represent the Cafeteria Workers and Noon Time Aides. "It's time for the school district to realize its legal and moral obligation to workers and pay a living wage."

After years of substandard contracts and poor representation by Unite Here, Local 634, Cafeteria Workers filed a petition for an election so they could vote for the Philadelphia Joint Board of Workers United/SEIU to be their union representative. The election has been scheduled by the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board. Workers will begin voting on October 5th.

"We should not short-change the men and women who care for our kids at school," said George Ricchezza, Leader of SEIU 32BJ District 1201, which represents janitors and other Philly school workers. "School workers need and deserve full pay to support their families in tough times."

The Philadelphia Joint Board of Workers United/SEIU was established in 1920 and contained various locals of garment and manufacturing workers throughout Philadelphia. Over the nearly 90 year history the Philadelphia Joint Board expanded to represent workers in school cafeterias, food service, hotels, laundries, distribution centers, manufacturing, and airports.

Workers United/SEIU is a union of 150,000 workers in the US and Canada who work in the food service, laundry, hospitality, gaming, apparel, textile, manufacturing and distribution industries. www.workersunitedunion.org

SOURCE Workers United