PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — SEPTA has entered round-the-clock negotiations with its largest union in hopes of avoiding a strike after the current contract expires on Halloween.
Shortly before the bargaining session began Monday at the Wyndham in Old City, Transport Workers Local 234 President Brian Pollitt said the negotiations are “about the survival of the system.”
He says a number of issues remain — not just wages and benefits, but safety both for members and riders.
“I’ve been with SEPTA for 33 years and I’ve never seen it this bad — the raping, the assaults, the robberies, the maliciousness that’s going on our El, on our subways, on our buses, it’s atrocious,” Pollitt said. “In order for the ridership that we lost to come back, they need to see that we care.”
Pollitt says he’d like to see the National Guard on vehicles. That kind of decision would be up to the governor, not SEPTA, but Spokesman Andrew Busch says the transit agency is addressing safety issues in contract talks, as well as absenteeism and service reliability.
Busch adds SEPTA wants to bring staffing levels up and hopes the new contract will help attract new employees.
SEPTA’s Regional Rail engineers and conductor’s union is also seeking strike authorization. Those workers have not had a raise since before the pandemic.
Earlier this month, the union representing SEPTA police officers voted to authorize a strike.