There could be a strike by Philadelphia bus, subway, and trolley operators in less than two weeks.
Talks resume Friday between the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and its largest union, Transport Workers Union Local 234. The current contract expires March 15.
Union president Willie Brown says management has "ignored" the union's demands. SEPTA hasn't made an offer for wages and benefits, but officials have said economic woes will affect the transit agency's ability to meet labor's requests.
The last strike that idled buses, subways and trolleys was a seven-day walkout in 2005. SEPTA's commuter rail service is handled by different unions and would not be halted by a Local 234 strike.
PHILADELPHIA -- As talks continue between SEPTA and its 4,700-member City Transit Division, the union representing about 330 suburban operators say they are also unlikely to hit the picket line when their contract expires April 1.
United Transportation Union Local 1594 is currently in negotiations with SEPTA, but said things are moving slowly.
"As long as talks are going well and there's progress, we'll continue to do that," said UTU Local President Ronald Koran. "We're hoping to reach an agreement."
Koran would not give details of the union's proposal, but acknowledged that the compensation is likely to be similar to city transit workers.
(The preceding article appeared on the Web site www.metro.us on March 13, 2009.)
PHILADELPHIA - While SEPTA bus, subway and trolley operators continue to work without a new deal two weeks after their contract expired, union leaders said they may file an unfair labor practice lawsuit if SEPTA does not respond to its proposal, the Philadelphia Metro reports.
Transport Workers Union Local 234, which represents 4,700 SEPTA workers, has not met with SEPTA negotiators face to face since March 14 the day before the contract expired.
Brown insists the union does not plan to strike, but simply wants to negotiate. Its latest proposal asks for wage increases of 3.5 and 4.5 percent, and language limiting subcontracting and appointing an ombudsman to hear employee-management complaints.
The union alleges that SEPTA is offering no wage increases for the next two years because of requests from Gov. Ed Rendell and Mayor Michael Nutter, who both hope to negotiate new deals with city and state workers, respectively, to close budget deficits.
A SEPTA spokesman denied the allegations, saying the governor and mayor have not been "directly" at the table. Rendell's office also denied any involvement, while Nutter's office would not say if it has taken part.
"What we have been told is that Michael Nutter has met with SEPTA and has pretty much said they must get zeros from us, because he's going to try to get zeros from the city," said Willie Brown, president of Local 234, referring to what he claims a SEPTA negotiator told him. "That, in itself, is unfair labor practice."
