PECO, Union Reach Tentative Deal To End Three-Day Strike

PECO and IBEW Local 614 have reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract after a three-day work stoppage that marked the first strike in the utility company’s 145-year history.

The deal was announced shortly before midnight Monday and brings an end to the strike by 1,600 workers that began at 12:01 a.m. on July 4.

Union members, who maintain the electrical and natural gas systems across southeastern Pennsylvania, had been working without a contract since April 1.

Under the tentative agreement, IBEW Local 614-represented employees will return to their regular duties while the proposal moves through the ratification process by union members.

IBEW Local 614 officials celebrated the outcome as a victory, stating that the union secured all of its major contract priorities.

According to a union press release, the agreement guarantees cash-balance pension plans, full retirement medical coverage, and significant general wage increases for all members.

“Tonight, we declare victory,” Larry Anastasi, president and business manager of IBEW Local 614, said in a statement. “IBEW Local 614 is ending our strike with a historic win and a landmark contract. This is the beginning of a new era at PECO, one where greed does not go unchecked and the workers who make modern life possible get the respect and dignity we are owed.”

Anastasi said the union’s goals from the beginning were restoring pensions and retirement medical coverage, adding that management had previously eroded those benefits and exploited wages. He noted that during the brief strike, the utility experienced widespread outages that it was slow to address.

“Our three-day strike showed just how much PECO needs Local 614,” Anastasi said. “Without our labor, our expertise, and our experience, PECO saw widespread outages that they were slow to address. We are not easily replaced.”

“Throughout this process, PECO has remained focused on doing what is right for our customers, employees, and the communities we serve,” PECO said in a statement. “This tentative agreement reflects our commitment to recognizing the important contributions of our represented employees while ensuring we continue to provide the safe, reliable energy service our customers depend on every day.”

Beyond the major pension and healthcare milestones, the new contract includes several specific operational changes.

Members will now be permitted to see any doctor for medical certifications, which replaces a previous policy that restricted members to company-selected doctors.

Additionally, the contract mandates a 24-hour notice for mandatory overtime for call center workers. It also doubles the upgrade pay from 5 percent to 10 percent on top of a member’s hourly rate when they perform work outside of their standard job duties.

IBEW Local 614 represents linemen, gas technicians, mechanics, call center workers, and back-office employees.

The company added that it values its long-standing relationship with the union and appreciated the efforts of both bargaining teams.

The tentative contract agreement supports the company’s “responsibility to deliver reliable, affordable service across southeastern Pennsylvania” while maintaining a safe workplace, according to PECO.

In 2025, the average PECO lineman salary was $243,569, which includes overtime), the company said.

PECO and the union first began contract negotiations in January.

During the strike and leading up to it, the union pointed out that PECO announced a $278 million profit in the first quarter of 2026. The union also noted that in 2025, PECO’s parent company, Exelon, paid more than $24 million in total compensation to CEO Calvin G. Butler Jr., a package that includes a private jet allowance.

Anastasi thanked union members for standing together against the multi-billion-dollar monopoly, as well as the elected officials, fellow unions, and community members who offered support.

“We are proud to get back to work on the utility poles, in the manholes, in the back office, and in the call center serving the people of southeastern Pennsylvania,” Anastasi said.