Philly was an epicenter for ‘hot labor summer’
In Philadelphia, the literal birthplace of the labor union, local and national movements spent yesterday celebrating. From the Teamsters winning a favorable new UPS contract to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes to rallies at Starbucks, Penn, and the airport, Philly was an epicenter for the “hot labor summer” of 2023.
Meir Rinde has a recap of all the rallies, strikes, and negotiations that went down — plus a bead on an unusual decertification effort underway.
That time the Beatles were smuggled into Philadelphia
The Beatles were slated to play Philadelphia on Sept. 2, 1964, as part of their first U.S. tour. But the city had just been roiled by protests, and concert organizers were afraid Beatlesmania combined with already high tensions would prove overwhelming when the Fab Four came into town.
So famed Philly DJ Hy Lit snuck them in on the back of a fish truck — supposedly with the help of then-Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Rizzo. Avi Wolfman-Arent has the story in the latest edition of Headlines of Yore.
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
• After 27 years, Pennsylvania is ending its contract to fund anti-abortion counseling centers and maternity homes run by an organization called Real Alternatives. [NBC10]
• Philly’s controversial school selection lottery has been updated with new standards aimed at improving access and avoiding empty spots in the most selective schools. [Chalkbeat]
• SEPTA’s first bus system redesign in decades is finalized. Ten public hearings will be held on the “Bus Revolution” this month, with implementation to begin later this year and next. [Inquirer$/SEPTA]
• A deep dive into the administration at Temple, where enrollment is down, turmoil is up, and the university’s first Black president was forced to resign after less than two years. [Philly Mag$/Billy Penn]
• Six months after a teenage Diego Ettedgui arrived in the U.S. for a communication course, his father in Venezuela told him, “Don’t come home.” Here’s how he became the Spanish language interpreter for the Phillies. [Crossing Broad]
• C.M. Neff Cook Supply Co. is a cute new kitchen supply store just off East Passyunk Avenue, offering chef tools, cookbooks, and knife sharpening services. [Passyunk Post]
• Dirndl and lederhosen filled the Cannstatter Volksfest Verein fairgrounds for the German heritage org’s 151st anniversary harvest festival. [Billy Penn]
MAYOR WATCH
Mayor Kenney starts the first day of school bright and early with Supt. Watlington at Guion Bluford Elementary in Carroll Park (8 a.m.), then hangs out with PHLpreK students at Children’s Garden in Feltonville (10 a.m.).
Afternoon brings Kenney back to City Hall to announce the schedule for this year’s Welcoming Week, a national celebration of immigrants’ contributions to U.S. society (2:30 p.m.).
ON THE CALENDAR
🎓 Billy Penn event: Campus Philly’s Collegefest block party takes over 19th and Race, and we’ll be there with BP Quizzo questions and stickers — for the 20k incoming students expected to attend, and for anyone else who wants to come through. (10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 9)
🖍️ The Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll returns for an evening of $1, $3, and $5 deals on food, crafts, books, and other goods from vendors up and down the ave. (5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7)
🎨 Nonprofit arts publication Artblog celebrates its 20th anniversary with a pay-what-you-can fundraiser and silent auction party at Moore College of Art & Design. (6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7)
📘 Billy Penn is proud to headline the inaugural Philly Story Fest, joining journalists from media outlets around Philadelphia to tell the city’s best stories on stage at the Bok. Tickets are $25. (7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5)
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