PECO workers win wage and benefit increases after historic strike

July 7, 2026

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Good afternoon everyone,

It’s Tuesday, July 7, and welcome back to another edition of the Keystone Labor Report. You can find Thursday’s edition here.

I hope everyone was able to enjoy their Fourth of July celebrations despite the scorching heat and severe thunderstorms that rolled through a large portion of the state on Saturday.

Pennsylvania’s ongoing budget stalemate is officially in its second week, but Senate Republican lawmakers are expected to be back in Harrisburg on Thursday and potentially hammer out a deal.

Senate Republicans left Harrisburg last week without completing their version of the budget while House Democrats passed a version similar to Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s original proposal in April.

Sean Kitchen

Political Correspondent, The Keystone

(IBEW Local 614)

One year after PECO Energy Company posted a rise in millions of dollars of net income from one quarter to another, close to 1,600 workers at the company staged a successful three-day strike that resulted in an increase in wages and pension plans for all members, as well as full retirement medical coverage for members.

Line and gas technicians, machinists, call center employees, and others at the company went on strike at midnight on July 4th. It was the first strike in the company’s 145-year history.

PECO, which is the commonwealth’s largest utility provider with 1.7 million customers throughout southeastern Pennsylvania, has come under scrutiny after posting record profits in 2025 and proposing higher rate increases for consumers.

IBEW Local 614 President Lawrence Anastasi declared victory after the two sides reached a tentative agreement on Monday.

“Management stole our pensions, eroded our medical benefits, and exploited our wages while jacking up rates, recording record profits, and skimming the fat for the C-suite. This contract begins to right those wrongs,” Anastasi said in a statement.

US Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pa.) was caught scrubbing mentions of “forever wars” from his campaign website, per the Daily Beast.
Where do Shapiro and Republican Treasurer Stacy Garrity stand on data centers? Spotlight Pa breaks down their stances on the controversial issue.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner (D) has a union fight brewing in his office that may test his highly public progressive image, per the Philadelphia Inquirer.

(Sean Kitchen / The Keystone)

Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti unveiled another round of labor endorsements in her race against US Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.).

Cognetti’s latest endorsements come from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA), the United Steelworkers (USW), and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air and Transportation Workers (SMART).

This comes on the heels of Politico’s recent reporting highlighting the labor endorsements Bresnahan received from the Teamsters and American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).

“As the only candidate in this race who supports the PRO Act, I will continue delivering for our workers in Congress by protecting and expanding the right to organize, fighting for better wages and benefits, and always prioritizing Pennsylvania workers over profit,” Cognetti said in a statement.