Late-night SEPTA strike update: It's over!

November 9, 3:20 AMPhiladelphia Public Transportation ExaminerSandy Smith

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It's back!
Brian Weinberg

SEPTA and Transport Workers Union Local 234 have reached a contract agreement that brings the six-day strike by some 5,100 bus drivers, trolley and subway operators, and maintenance personnel to an end. The agreement was announced at 12:45 a.m. outside the Center City office of Gov. Edward G. Rendell.

SEPTA has announced in a 1:45 a.m. news release that a gradual resumption of service would begin at 4 a.m. with all rail transit services and most major bus routes operational for the morning rush hour. Here's what should be running by the time Philadelphia goes to work:

• The Market-Frankford Line
• The Broad Street Line and Broad-Ridge Spur
• Trolley Routes 10, 11, 13, 15, 34, and 36, with the five trolley subway routes (10, 11, 13, 34, 36) operating via the diversion route to 40th and Market subway station until the tunnel is again open for service
• Bus Routes 14, 17, 21, 23, 33, 47, 48, 52, 57, 124, 125, C, L and R

All services should be running by the afternoon peak.

The broad financial outlines of the contract remain the same as those in the tentative agreement the union rejected Saturday: a $1,250 signing bonus; a total 11..5 percent wage hike over five years, with a 2.5 percent raise in Year Two and 3 percent raises in each of the following three years; a gradual increase in employee contributions to the employee pension fund from 1.5 to 3 percent; no change in employee contributions to the medical plan.

TWU spokesman Jamie Horwitz told The Philadelphia Inquirer that indeed a handshake agreement had been reached on the major issues on Friday night, but added, "The devil is in the details. When the contract was sent over [on Saturday], it included a couple things that were difficult for the union."

As of this writing, there is no information about what those things were or what changed to get the TWU to Yes.

Even though no new talks had been scheduled after the collapse of the handshake deal, the shuttle diplomacy that had led to the broad agreement continued through the weekend, with U.S. Rep. Bob Brady (D-Pa.) continuing in his now-familiar role of mediator along with Rendell, who had angrily announced his departure from the talks on Saturday. Brady explained, "We never stopped talking. Some numbers had to be massaged. ...Everybody cooperated."

Rendell, who had blasted the union on Saturday, had compliments for TWU Local 234 President Willie Brown this morning, saying that he "did his job well for his members."

The protest that had been announced for 1 p.m. yesterday in front of SEPTA headquarters never materialized.

If you need a refresher course on riding SEPTA, start with my Info 101 guide to the system.