1,600 PECO workers could walk off on July 4 in 1st strike in Pennsylvania utility's 145-year history

Holiday plans across the Philadelphia region could be affected if a labor fight between PECO and the union for 1,600 employees turns into a walkout.

July 4 is the union's deadline. Without a deal by then, workers say PECO would face its first strike in 145 years, according to WHYY News.

What's happening?

After five months without a breakthrough, members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 614 say they are prepared to strike on Independence Day.

The bargaining unit covers linemen, technicians, gas odor responders, call center workers, and other staff, and those employees have been on the job without a contract since April 1.

Speaking at a Philadelphia rally, IBEW Local 614 Business Agent Larry Anastasi warned, "We know the impact that will be felt across Philadelphia and its four counties."

He said Exelon, PECO's parent company, has not bargained in earnest over pay and benefits, adding, "They never intended to bargain. They forced our hand because they think that this will divide us."

Retirement coverage and compensation are at the heart of the impasse. The union says that about 600 employees hired since 2021 are in a weaker retirement plan, and workers hired after 2014 cannot participate in certain retiree medical savings plans.

Anastasi also said PECO workers make 30% less than employees at comparable utilities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, according to WHYY News.

Management rejects that view. PECO Chief Operating Officer Nicole LeVine said the company's offer is fair and competitive, and it would raise pay over five years by 20% for field workers and 16% for call center employees.

Why does it matter?

Any stoppage would affect a utility with a large regional footprint: PECO delivers electricity to 1.7 million customers in Philadelphia and the nearby suburbs and supplies natural gas to about 550,000 suburban customers. Coming during one of the busiest travel and tourism stretches of the year, a strike could heighten worries about outages, restoration timelines, and emergency response.

For union leaders, the contract fight also reflects what they see as a larger problem with the company's priorities. They argue frontline workers are being asked to accept less even as executives receive large compensation packages and profits rise, pointing to Exelon CEO Calvin Butler's $15.6 million pay and PECO's net income climbing 47.7% to $814 million in 2025.

Corporate decisions can hit households more than once: first through approved rate hikes and then through labor instability that could affect service.

Call center employee Joy Rodriguez said, "I think it's terrible that they don't believe we deserve the same raise as the men out in the field."

What's being done?

A last-minute opening remains. Both sides are expected back at the bargaining table on July 2, which is two days before the planned strike, and there is at least some agreement on mediation: PECO wants a federal mediator involved, and Anastasi said at the rally that the union would participate.

The company says it is preparing for a strike as well, with a contingency plan built around nonunion employees and trained contractors.

LeVine said, "We'll seamlessly pull the trigger to act on the plan, and our customers will not see any interruption of service or delay in restoration."

The outcome depends on whether the two sides can overcome deep disagreements over wages, pensions, and medical benefits before the deadline.

The two camps are projecting very different consequences.

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