About 3,000 members and supporters of the Philadelphia teachers union rallied at the school district headquarters to protest the cancellation of their union contract.
The crowd shut down North Broad Street on Thursday after gathering outside the first meeting of the School Reform Commission following its sudden action last week that forces members to start paying health premiums of as much as $140 a month.
District officials said they had no choice after funding woes that have prompted nearly $1 billion in cuts, including the loss of 5,000 positions and the closure of 30 schools.
Patrick Eiding, president of the Philadelphia Labor Council, AFL-CIO, said union leaders would await the outcome of court action, but if the decision is not reversed he vowed "We will turn this city upside down.''
3,000 Join Philadelphia Teachers' Protest
Copyright AP - Associated Press
