Still No Deal As SEPTA Strike Looms
By Cherri Gregg, Kristen Johanson and Trang Do
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- SEPTA officials resumed negotiations with leaders of Transport Workers Union Local 234 on Sunday. The agency is hoping to avoid a strike, but the deadline is rapidly approaching.
SEPTA's 5,700 unionized workers have threatened to walk off the job Tuesday morning if the agency fails to agree to make concessions on pension and health benefits by midnight Monday. A strike would shut down SEPTA's buses, trolleys, and Broad and Market Street lines, leaving regional rail as the sole means of public transportation.
"I'm aware, very aware of it because it will affect me, I will have to walk," said Antoinette DuBiel of Center City.
School officials say more than 60,000 public, private and charter school students rely on SEPTA.
Heightening the pressure is Election Day -- which will come one week after a strike. Grassroots groups are already planning for alternative ways to get voters to the polls.
"This is really going to be a tough situation for me because I don't have no other means of transportation," said Jessica Eisenhower of South Philly. "I just hope that they can figure everything out and this don't happen."
Friday night, union members prepared signs for their more than 5,700 members should a strike occur.
Union leaders say the biggest points of contention center around wages, pensions and healthcare costs. SEPTA riders who spoke to CBS3 were sympathetic.
"I understand, I'm a state worker myself, so I understand if they don't work it out, they have to do what they have to do," said Kelly Hendryx of Levittown.
If Local 234 does strike, regional rail, already overcrowded, will be the only mass transit available in the city. Mayor Jim Kenney said he's hopeful it won't get to that point.
In the meantime, SEPTA put together a guide detailing detours and closures so commuters can incorporate Lyft or Uber to fill the void. The potential strike also has forced the city, larger employers and the school district to create contingency plans -- the city of Philadelphia, PENN and Drexel announced that they will have shuttles to help their employees get to work.
"We've been in this situation before and either it's been one day or it's been avoided so hopefully, we'll hope for the best," Kenney said. "It's all we can do."
He and other elected officials are monitoring the talks closely and will only intervene if asked.
If SEPTA goes on strike it would be the 11th time in the transit agency's history. The last strike was in 2009. It lasted six days.
