LL Cool J says he won't perform at Philadelphia's July Fourth festival in support of workers strike

PHILADELPHIA – Rapper LL Cool J says helium volition not execute astatine a Fourth of July festival successful Philadelphia successful enactment of a onslaught by astir 10,000 metropolis workers successful Philadelphia.

The rapper and histrion had been scheduled to look astatine the Wawa Welcome America Festival connected Friday, on with R&B vocalist and Philadelphia autochthonal Jazmine Sullivan and different performers.

LL Cool J said successful a video posted connected societal media that “there's perfectly nary mode that I tin perform, transverse a picket enactment and prime up wealth erstwhile I cognize that radical are retired determination warring for a surviving wage.”

“I hope, I hope, I anticipation that, you know, the politician and the metropolis tin marque a deal. I anticipation it works out,” helium said.

LL Cool J besides said that helium ne'er wants to disappoint his fans and that helium plans to beryllium successful Philadelphia successful lawsuit an statement is reached.

The festival comes arsenic the onslaught moved into a 4th time Friday. Trash has been piling up successful immoderate areas and much than 30 Medical Examiner’s Office staffers person been ordered backmost to enactment due to the fact that of a increasing backlog of bodies successful storage.

The latest talks betwixt the metropolis and leaders of District Council 33 — the largest of 4 large unions representing metropolis workers — ended precocious Wednesday. Both sides person said they were consenting to proceed negotiations. The national represents galore of the city’s blue-collar workers, from trash collectors to clerks to information guards. Police and firefighters are not connected strike.

The metropolis has offered a three-year declaration with yearly raises of astir 3%, which the national said amounts to small much than $1,000 aft taxes for members making $46,000 a twelvemonth connected average.

Mayor Cherelle Parker has said the metropolis has “put its champion connection connected the table.” She stressed that the effectual 13% wage hike implicit her four-year word -- including past year’s 5% bump – on with a 5th measurement connected the wage standard would beryllium the champion declaration the national has seen successful decades.

Parker responded to LL Cool J's statement, saying that she spoke with him connected Thursday.

"I respect his decision, and recognize his tendency to spot the metropolis unified," the politician said. “He is ever invited successful Philadelphia.”

The national besides responded, saying LL Cool J's enactment for municipal workers “highlights his committedness to societal justness and assemblage well-being.”

“His enactment not lone brings attraction to our efforts but besides inspires others to admit and advocator for the rights and respect of each workers,” the national said. “It’s heartening to spot nationalist figures utilizing their power to champion causes that substance to mundane people.”

On Thursday, Common Pleas Court Judge Sierra Thomas-Street approved the city’s petition to person the aesculapian examiner’s bureau staffers instrumentality to enactment due to the fact that bodies person been piling up determination successful storage, posing a wellness and information risk. Those workers see decease and forensic investigators, forensic technicians and clerks.

The bid came a time aft the justice ordered immoderate exigency work dispatchers and indispensable h2o section employees backmost to work.

Mounting trash piles successful immoderate parts of the metropolis were besides inactive causing grief for residents and officials, who person powerfully urged residents to travel the postulation guidelines imposed erstwhile the onslaught began Tuesday. They besides urged residents to study problems astatine the trash postulation sites, and noted trash is being cleared arsenic accelerated arsenic imaginable and the metropolis is moving to unfastened much sites.

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