July 06, 2026
Molly McVety/Philly Voice
IBEW Local 614 President Larry Anastasi addresses a crowd at Washington Square Park on June 25 to announce that PECO workers would strike on July 4 if a new deal had not been reached. Monday marked the third day of the work stoppage.
Negotiations between PECO and the union representing roughly 1,600 mechanics, line workers, customer service representatives and technicians resumed at 10 a.m. Monday — the third day the workers have been on strike.
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 614 began striking at midnight Saturday, leading into a weekend of a record-breaking heat wave and persistent flash flood warnings that caused tens of thousands of power outages over the weekend. PECO estimated around noon Monday that about 3,000 customers were still without power but that it would be restored by tonight.
A company spokesperson said over 57,000 customers were impacted at the height of Saturday night’s storm. The number of affected customers dropped to around 6,000 within 24 hours.
"The PECO service area experienced multiple rounds of impactful storms throughout the weekend," the company said in a statement. "However, our supervisors, foremen and contractor crews have done a tremendous job of responding to outages and restoring service for our customers."
In the wake of IBEW Local 614’s work stoppage, the first in the utility's 145-year history, PECO said its contingency plan included hiring outside contractors, field workers from other states and PECO foremen and supervisors that are not part of the strike.
“Utilizing contractors and crews from outside of our region is very common, especially during large storm events,” the company said. “This allows PECO to increase staffing during storms or emergencies to ensure we can restore service as quickly as possible for customers.”
Larry Anastasi, president and business manager of the union, expressed that relying on outside workers who are not familiar with the area’s system could pose a danger to customers.
“This work requires highly trained union professionals because mistakes around high voltage can be deadly,” he said in a statement. “As communities deal with widespread outages, it’s disappointing that PECO has chosen to prolong this strike instead of getting the experienced workforce that safely responds to these emergencies back on the job. The fastest path to restoring experienced crews to the field is reaching a fair agreement.”
A representative with IBEW Local 614 said negotiations took place over the weekend and concluded around 11 p.m. Sunday without a deal being reached. Picket lines have since been set up across the utility’s five-county jurisdiction, including in front of PECO’s headquarters in Center City.
Dozens of striking PECO workers setting up picket lines outside of headquarters this morning.
— David Asch (@dasch513) July 6, 2026
Some cars honking in solidarity as they drive by.
IBEW Local 614 demanding better wages, retirement and medical benefits.@KYWNewsradio pic.twitter.com/Zaspbsy4GB
"Instead of delivering a fair contract that puts our skilled members back in the field, PECO is burning money on scabs who don't know this complicated system," Anastasi said Sunday. "We are doing everything in our power to reach a fair deal and put our members back to work."
PECO said they put forward a "significant offer" that includes a "nearly 22% wage increase" for field workers, 16% wage increases for care center employees, a cash balance pension plan and a retirement medical savings account over the course of five years.
“PECO believes this is a fair, competitive offer that reflects the value Local 614 employees bring to our company and the communities we serve,” the company said.
Prior to last weekend’s strike, IBEW Local 614 had been working without a contract since their five-year deal expired at the end of March as they have attempted to bargain for higher wages, improved retirement benefits and better healthcare options.
