Union president representing 10,000 city workers is removed from office

The president of the union representing roughly 10,000 Philadelphia municipal workers has been removed from office for making decisions on staff salaries and certain other expenditures without getting approval from the union’s executive board.

Ernest Garrett was elected president of AFSCME District Council 33 in 2020, unseating incumbent Herman “Pete” Matthews, who had held the position for more than two decades. He vowed to “bring respect, dignity back to DC33.”

A judicial board for AFSCME at the international level found that Garrett “made numerous unilateral decisions to change staff salaries,” according to a copy of the AFSCME decision obtained by The Inquirer.

The report also said that Garrett’s hiring of his sister-in-law for a catering job, “while not technically a violation,” gave “the appearance of nepotism.” His business relationship with another family member, whose company made hooded sweatshirts for the union, created the appearance of improper conduct, the decision said.

During the judicial board’s investigation, which was launched in October, Garrett testified that he cut the salaries of district council employees by $10,000 to $50,000, according to the report, dated Feb. 20.

“I didn’t know you needed board approval. Now I know,” Garrett said in an interview Wednesday. “I wanted to eliminate wasteful spending.”

Also to save money, Garrett merged some jobs as people left their positions, he said, but he didn’t know that required board approval. He said he will likely appeal the judicial board’s decision, but for now he’s “going back to work proudly” as a dues-paying member of District Council 33. Before his 2016 election as business agent for the union, a position he held until he became president, Garrett worked as a water department employee for 18 years.

Leading District Council 33 is no small job. It’s one of the biggest unions in the region, with 15 locals representing municipal employees including sanitation workers, correctional officers, and library staff. Its members could essentially shut down the city by going on strike, and their contracts are pivotal in the city’s budget.

The allegations against Garrett were initially brought by a group of officers for DC33 locals, including Omar Salaam, who is vice president of DC33.

Salaam said the district council will follow its constitution with regard to a leadership transition to finish out Garrett’s term, which ends in May. Until that is settled, Salaam is DC33′s top leader, he confirmed.

“We have some work we need to do to stabilize our council,” Salaam added.

Garrett is also barred from holding any elected position in ASFCME for four years. The decision noted that there was no evidence he directly benefited from the violations, so his penalty was lessened.

Natalia Pérez Santos, an AFSCME official, said the judicial panel’s decision followed a thorough investigation, and actions that violate AFSCME’s constitution “are not taken lightly.”

“Now, we must move forward to ensure that we are building a stronger union for the dedicated members of DC33 who depend on their voice on the job to secure fair wages, safer working conditions, and a brighter future for their families,” Santos said.

AFSCME’s decision said nine job salaries were modified without board approval, including two positions that were merged.

“Brother Garrett’s defense that he relied on a practice established by his predecessors in office over multiple years does not justify his violations of the international constitution,” the decision said. “While the district council may have saved money through Brother Garrett’s actions (as he alleges), it does not excuse the violations.”

Garrett wrote a letter to DC33 members on Wednesday and posted it to the district council’s Facebook page, but it was taken down within hours.

In the letter, Garrett emphasized the judicial panel’s statement that no evidence showed Garrett had personally benefited from his violations.

“And that’s exactly how I tried to lead our union — for the benefit of the members alone, never myself,” Garrett wrote.