Music artist LL Cool J has announced that he will not be performing at Philadelphia's July Fourth festival in solidarity with striking workers.
The fourth day of a city workers' strike in Philadelphia has caused a significant impact, with trash piling up in some areas and the cancellation of high-profile performances at the Wawa Welcome America Festival.
LL Cool J and Jazmine Sullivan, both scheduled to perform at the festival on July Fourth, have withdrawn their participation to show solidarity with the striking workers represented by AFSCME District Council 33. The union members have been on strike since July 1, 2025, demanding fair wages and improved working conditions.
Both artists explicitly refused to cross the picket line, with LL Cool J stating he could not "pick up money" while workers were fighting for a living wage. Jazmine Sullivan, a Philadelphia native and Grammy award-winning artist, expressed her support for the striking workers, stating she would not perform until "the city and union find a way to bring fair living wages to our working class."
Their cancellations have brought heightened public awareness and media attention to the labour strike, undermining the festival's typical star power and entertainment draw. The union has praised LL Cool J for his support of municipal workers, stating it highlights his commitment to social justice and community well-being.
Mayor Cherelle Parker has spoken with LL Cool J regarding the strike, and both sides have stated their willingness to continue negotiations. The city's proposed three-year contract offers annual raises of about 3%, which the union states amounts to little more than $1,000 after taxes for members making $46,000 on average. The city's proposed contract also includes a 13% pay hike over the four-year term, including a 5% bump last year, and a fifth step on the pay scale.
Trash collection in the city is ongoing, with the city urging residents to follow collection guidelines and report problems at trash collection sites. The city is working to open more sites to clear the mounting trash piles as fast as possible.
In a positive development, Common Pleas Court Judge Sierra Thomas-Street approved the city's request for medical examiner's office staffers to return to work due to a health and safety risk, with more than 30 staffers ordered back to work due to a growing backlog of bodies in storage.
As the city and union continue negotiations, the impact of the strike and the solidarity shown by LL Cool J and Jazmine Sullivan remains a topic of discussion in Philadelphia. LL Cool J has expressed hope that the mayor and city can make a deal and that he plans to be in Philadelphia if an agreement is reached.
- The impact of the city workers' strike in Philadelphia, highlighted by the withdrawal of artists like LL Cool J and Jazmine Sullivan from the Wawa Welcome America Festival, has expanded the conversation about the strike to areas like politics, social media, and pop-culture.
- In Seattle, social media platforms buzzed with discussion about the strike, with many expressing appreciation for the celebrities who stood with the workers, such as LL Cool J and Jazmine Sullivan, amidst the ongoing struggle for fair wages and improved working conditions.
- The cancellation of performances by celebrities like LL Cool J and Jazmine Sullivan has caused a ripple effect, affecting not just entertainment events but also public discourse on issues like labor rights and entertainment industry values, bringing them under the microscope of pop-culture followers.
