All SEPTA surface and rail transit in the City of Philadelphia except for Regional Rail, plus SEPTA bus routes in those parts of Bucks, Montgomery and Chester counties served by the Frontier District (see this guide for more details), are shut down as of 3 a.m. today, when operating and maintenance personnel represented by Transport Workers Union Local 234 went on strike after ongoing talks broke down late last night.
According to a source close to the negotiations, the union was willing to accept SEPTA's economic package of raises totaling 11 percent over five years with zero increase and a $1,250 signing bonus in the first year, a 120 percent (six percntage points, from 5 to 11 percent) in contributions to the employee pension fund, and no increase in employee contributions to the healthcare plan. The main sticking point, the source said, was proposed changes in longstanding work rules that allow maintenance employees to pick the equipment they will work on based on seniority.
SEPTA has attempted to obtain these work rule changes in previous contract negotiations with no success.
Elected officials were highly critical of the union's late-night decision to call an early morning walkout, which caught the bulk of SEPTA commuters by surprise.
As of now, there have been no new negotiating sessions scheduled.
For up-to-the-second information on those SEPTA services that are operating, follow SEPTA on Twitter. For more details about service disruptions, visit the SEPTA Web site.
Comments
I do all sorts of things I don't want to at my job, but, hwen it comes down to it, it's a job and I'm paid to be there and work.
Agree with Doug, what difference does it make what you repair, though from the cleanliness of the vehicles you have to wonder.
Unions can burn in hell. These clowns are overpaid and then they have the audacity to stick it to the people who pay their bills.. the commuters. Soemeone should just off the leaders of this so called union.
"To better integrate disparate systems into a whole and to effect necessary economies, personnel managers must deemphasize labor’s distinctions of hierarchy, rank, and “scope” both within and between the predecessor companies. "
FUC*K SEPTA THEY WAITED TO PULL THIS SH*IT DURING A TIME OF RECESSION AND STRUGGLE. THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WAS DOING AND NOW THOSE WHO DEPEND ON SEPTA IS STRUGGING..
Govenor Rendell. I believe you are a tough man who always does the right thing. One day is too long for a SEPTA strike. Follow the lead of Ronald Regan and fire all Septa employees who do not return to work and get rid of the union. There are enough unemployed people who would love to have a job with benefits. There are a lot of people in the workforce who have not had raises for 2 years and had to deal with increases to their benefits, but are thankful to have a job. This is a time of sacrifice for us all, not a time to hold a city hostage. SEPTA receives government money - Govenor Rendell do the right thing, withdrawal their funding and fire those who do not return to work. Or maybe when you run for office again you won't be re-elected or elected because you have become soft.
FTR: Governor Rendell is in his second term and cannot succeed himself. There have been a few reports in the press hinting that he might want to serve as Mayor of Philadelphia again.
Septa lost $400,000.00 of Septa workers pension money and want the workers to pay back the money THEY lost. What kind of crap is that. They have every right to strike. Its unfortunate the riders have to pay for it. Septa top executives needs to be investiaged.
These are the biggest wastes of life I know. There are plenty of hard working men and women that would love to be paid 52K a year to do anything, let alone drive a bus. Fire all of them and hire people interested in having a job. You can not ask for the world on a platter when the whole country is out of money. I wish I could strike for an 11% raise when most people are barely getting 1%
I would be cool with SEPTA getting more benefits if their employees weren't the rudest bunch of douche bags I have ever come across. It is by all means the worst run public transit anywhere. I say fire everyone and hire people that actually want and need the jobs and are willing to take some pride in their work. Not to mention if you aren't going to give change at the ticket window make sure their is a goddamn token machine in every station! Also why not stay open till 2am so you can actually triple your earnings with the bar crowd. Oh wait Im sure the union would never allow that!!! They just don't get it. The only people that are getting hurt by this are people just like them who are trying to get to their jobs in the city and now can't.
septa is a @$$hole
this is some bullshit because i have to take three buses to get to school.this is a recession and my fam cant afford to be traveling all ova the city with these gas prices.therefore i rely on septa so i can get my education its not right at all that we have to be punished because septa wants to be selfish!
What morons. I only wish I would get an 11% raise. The morons don’t realize what the worth of their health insurance package. It turns my stomach to read what they are getting in pension benefits. Signing fee – what a joke. You want to pick the job to work on – what brats. Wake up – you will never regain the money you lose by sitting at home on your asses. Get back to work. Fire all their asses. There are plenty of people that would die to be employed and get what they don’t want. The union officials should be shot.
I f@#$ing hate septa! How dare they do this to their patrons. Philadelphia needs a NEW BUS COMPANY!
Septa gives all unions a bad name. Screw those selfish bastards! I have to go to school and then work. I can barely afford to take the bus as it is. Now what? Cabs? Regional f@#$ing Rail? Not fair! Oh hell no!
Are they KIDDING? I had to walk 15 blocks to catch the regional rail to school this morning because SEPTA janitors don't like how their jobs are chosen?!?!? THIS is why the SEPTA union is holding the city hostage? What kind of prima donnas do we have driving us? And SEPTA workers are UPSET that we don't support this? I don't agree that the unions should be disbanded, but when they decide to cripple a city over nonsense, I say it's time to reevaluate the balance of power. In the first place, SEPTA is the most inefficient excuse for a public transit system it has ever been my displeasure to use. I wish I wasn't forced to rely on their substandard service. Instead of that ridiculous raise, maybe that money would be better spent on overhauling SEPTA's bus system. I don't need a reason to miss my hometown, but SEPTA really, REALLY makes me miss NYC.Bunch of whinny little ingrates! I really hope that the SEPTA union workers are reading these
I want to know how I get my money back for the two transpasses I purchased and only got to use on Monday! Septa needs some transit competition. It's ridiculous that they chose to strike at 3am. Absolutely no regard or respect for the riders!
what kind of crap is this people cant work or go to school what the hell is going to happen when people lose there job whats after that ?
Your website says you "Move people". That's the biggest load EVER, Willie Brown. Do you know that because you want to make a ridiculous point to the city, I had to work late to cover for someone, who also lost pay because the bus wasn't running. The bus stop outside of the Willow Grove mall was vacant tonight. Do you know how sickening that is? You disabled MILLIONS of Philadelphians. I get paid little more than minimum wage, get no benefits, and have already been injured at work without any compensation. GET OVER IT, YOU PATHETIC WASTES OF LIFE! Your service is terrible and your vehicles are disgusting. I'm getting a car. Screw SEPTA's Local 234. Won't catch me on the L anymore!
What I really want is for SEPTA to explain why. Why wasn't the deal offered to you good enough, even though the city is in the middle of a recession? Why did it seem like a good, fair idea to cripple the city with no warning? Why are you holding us hostage because you don't like the way jobs are picked? My dad works for the NYC transit and they pick based on seniority what days they have off and what shift they have and it works fine for them. And their system is actually GOOD. Why should we, the citizens of Philadelphia have to suffer because your union leaders are a bunch of ungrateful, greedy, selfish control freaks who look after their wallets rather than the well-being of the city? 52grand a year seems more than fair for the quality of service we get. That's WELL above the poverty line, which is, btw, where a lot of your customers are. I could support this strike if it were for something important, but this? This is plain selfishness on the union's part.
c'mon SEPTA: I don't know whether or not you know this, but when you wrote that
"My dad works for the NYC transit and they pick based on seniority what days they have off and what shift they have and it works fine for them. And their system is actually GOOD."
you're arguing TWU 234's position on the issue of allocating work in the equipment maintenance shops. SEPTA would like to move away from seniority.
In my opinion SEPTA is able to pull these stunts (strikes just about every year) is because they are a monopoly. The community relies solely (no competition) on them for public transportation. Now keep in mind when a company has complete control over the market they tend to take advantage. SEPTA has been taking advantage of the situation for years. The Mayor along with the Governor should attempt to find an entrepreneur who is willing to step up and start another public transportation company if possible so that the public can decide on who will be the best company to utilize for their every day travel and business. Enough is enough (games). And of course once the contract is signed the fares will go up. The public pays the price as always and that is not fair. Stop holding the city hostage every single year SEPTA!
A monopoly is a single producer of a product or service which does not have close substitute or competition.
•Ownership/Control of a Key Resource (Public Transportation) - SEPTA
Willie wants his "Homies" to be able to pick who gets what jobs. Who do you think would get these jobs?
Angel: While you are correct that SEPTA has a monopoly on the provision of mass transit in Philadelphia and its environs, it is a monopoly no private company would want. No mass transit system anywhere on the planet save one - Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway - turns a profit overall, and only a handful turn a profit on operations. No US mass transit system - not even New York City's - runs an operating profit.
Here's Why: The system the TWU is fighting to preserve uses seniority, not race or any other factor, as the basis for determining who gets first crack at prime work. Thanks for playing.
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