PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A potential SEPTA workers strike means that students in the School District of Philadelphia could be sent back home for online learning again in as little as two weeks.
The contract covering subway, bus and trolley drivers expires at the end of the month. The Transport Workers Union says talks with SEPTA have not been going well, but a transit agency spokesman says they're optimistic a deal can be worked out.
Among the sticking points stalling contract negotiations, TWU Local 234 President Willie Brown cites fair wages, parental leave, and fair treatment for families of SEPTA workers who died from COVID-19.
TWU Local 234 President Willie Brown lays out the sticking points in this contract negotiation update.
Local 234's last strike, in 2016, lasted six days and ended just before Election Day.
Nearly 80,000 students and staff rely on SEPTA to get to and from school.
In a letter to families in the district, Superintendent Dr. William Hite said a strike "would have a devastating impact on the operation of our school district and our ability to sustain in-person learning."