Confusion as Teamsters endorse opposing candidates

June 23, 2026

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It’s Tuesday, June 23, and welcome back to another edition of the Keystone Labor Report. It’s been a couple of weeks since we last published the newsletter, but you can read our previous edition here.

One thing I worry about when I am away is that there won’t be enough issues to cover right when I get back into the workflow, but it’s been a busy couple weeks.

In today’s Labor Report, we’re going to look at the endorsements the Teamsters issued in the Pennsylvania 8th Congressional District and give an update about the ongoing strike at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown hotel.

On top of that, I’ll have a quick recap of my trip to Warped Tour in Washington DC.

Sean Kitchen

Political Correspondent, The Keystone

(Sean Kitchen / The Keystone)

Weeks after endorsing Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti in her race against US Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.), the Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters endorsed Bresnahan last week, creating confusion over the process.

Cognetti was endorsed at the Pennsylvania Teamsters’ yearly conference at the end of April through a voice vote that was aired on PCN.

“As mayor, Paige has taken on special interests and fought for reform. She turned down a [city-issued] car, eliminated cash payments, and cut costs, leading to budget surpluses and a credit rating that went from junk to investment grade,” Bill Hamilton, President of the Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters, said moments before leading Cognetti’s endorsement vote.

(Sean Kitchen / The Keystone)

After going on strike last fall, workers at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown hotel followed through with their threat of going on strike during the FIFA World Cup by walking off the job early on Sunday.

Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown employees are demanding a $30 minimum wage for non-tipped workers by January 2028, a 15-room daily quota for housekeepers, an 18% banquet gratuity, increases to healthcare benefits, and more.

Prior to Sunday’s strike, UNITE HERE Local 274, which represents over 4,000 hotel and food service workers throughout the city, was able to secure a $30 minimum wage and other increases for workers at the Hilton Penn’s Landing hotel and the Wyndham Philadelphia Historic District hotel.

“We told them we were ready to strike [during] the World Cup. They could have easily avoided this by signing the contract. We are not worth less than the other hotel workers in this city, and we are going to fight for what we deserve,” Francine Heason, a Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown room attendant, said in a statement.

Read more about the strike here

US Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) spoke before the Pennsylvania Press Club for the first time on Monday and he called on Democrats to fight for the American Dream, per PoliticsPA.
The Pennsylvania House unanimously passed House Bill 2224, which would establish a formula targeting return on equity to prevent utility companies from profiting from rate hikes, per the Penn Capital Star.
Reporting confirms that a Republican super PAC poured $1.7 million into Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District Democratic Primary race to try and prevent Bob Brooks from making it through the primary election, per PennLive.

(Sean Kitchen / The Keystone)

It’s been more than a week since I went to Washington DC for the annual Warped Tour festival, and I had a blast.

First off, I was able to have dinner Friday evening at the Comet Ping Pong pizza shop, which has become sort of a tourist attraction after right-wing conspiracy theorists started the debunked “pizzagate” rumors during the 2016 election.

Both days of the festival were the hottest two days during my break, and I got to stand outside in the scorching sun watching the Menzingers, Suicidal Tendencies, Bayside, and much more.

My two favorite sets from the weekend were Third Eye Blind and New Found Glory, which both took me back to the early 2000s.