Philadelphia Jobs with Justice is a left-of-center advocacy organization affiliated with the national left-of-center organization Jobs with Justice. The organization in known for promoting left-of-center policies within Philadelphia and leading unionization campaigns against a variety of Philadelphia based businesses and organizations. The group has also led public pressure campaigns targeting the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University urging the universities to provide funds to the public-school system in Philadelphia.

The organization is also closely aligned with labor unions and left-of-center grantmaking foundations. The group’s parent organization, Jobs with Justice, receives substantial funding from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the Ford Foundation, the Communications Workers of America (CWA), and the Marguerite Casey Foundation. ^{1 2 3}

Background

Philadelphia Jobs with Justice was founded in 1999 for the stated purpose of building a coalition between local labor unions and community activist groups to commence organizing and public pressure campaigns via media engagement, through strikes and picketing, and through protests. The group is a part of the larger Jobs with Justice (JWJ) organization, which was founded in 1987 by Larry Cohen, who was later president of the Communications Workers of America. JWJ is now both a national coalition of unions and pro-labor advocacy groups and a collection of smaller local groups such as Philadelphia Jobs with Justice that conduct pressure campaigns on the local level. ^{2 1}

Activities

One of the early campaigns of Philadelphia Jobs with Justice was called Philadelphia Officers and Workers Rising (POWR), which promoted unionization efforts among security guards in Philadelphia. The campaign first worked with security guards at the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University Campuses and in 2008 worked with security officers at the Philadelphia Museum of Art to create an independent union, the Philadelphia Security Officers’ Union (PSOU). ²

In 2010 the organization assisted the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP) in a four week strike among nurses at Temple Hospital and organized students participating in the group’s Student Labor Action Project to host a “die-in.” Also, in 2010, Philadelphia Jobs with Justice was involved with the Coalition for Essential Services, a network of 90 left-of-center community, labor, and social justice organizations supporting raising taxes on businesses to fund more government services programs. ²

In 2018, the group worked with the National Domestic Workers Alliance to create an organizing project supporting a lengthy agenda of left-of-center labor policies that it called a “Domestic Workers Bill of Rights.” The proposed legislation was passed in Philadelphia and the project transitioned from a project of Philadelphia Jobs with Justice to a chapter of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. ²

Pressure Campaigns Against Universities

In 2012, Philadelphia Jobs with Justice launched its first of many campaigns targeting universities on the grounds that the private, tax-exempt institutions should contribute to the Philadelphia school system, which had been long plagued with financial difficulties. The group launched the Good Neighbor Campaign, demanding that the University of Pennsylvania contribute a portion of its annual operating budget to the school system and launched a similar campaign against Drexel University. The group also opposed tax abatements that it said contributed to the underfunding of city schools. ²

In 2020, the University of Pennsylvania announced that it would contribute $100 million to fund led and asbestos abatement in the city school system. Philadelphia Jobs with Justice responded to the donation by saying it was insufficient and that it “doesn’t account for how steadily their endowment and property portfolio has been growing over the past 10 years.” The group has continued to pressure the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University to make property tax-equivalent payments to the city. ^{4 3}

1. Manhein, Jarol. “The Emerging Role of Worker Centers in Union Organizing.” U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.uschamber.com/assets/archived/images/uscc_wfi_workercenterreport_2017.pdf
2. “History.” Philadelphia Jobs with Justice. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://phillyjwj.org/about/history/
3. Snider, Susan. “Penn to donate $100 million to Philadelphia Schools to help with Asbestos, Lead Abatement.” Philadelphia Inquirer. November 17, 2020, Accessed October 2, 2022.  https://www.inquirer.com/education/penn-gift-school-district-asbestos-millions-20201117.html
4. Rizzo, Emily. “Protesters again push Drexel, Penn to pay PILOTs to Philly public schools.” March 30, 2021. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://whyy.org/articles/protesters-again-push-drexel-penn-to-pay-pilots-to-philly-public-schools/