Last week, across Philadelphia, hundreds of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) workers threatened to go on strike if long-running contract negotiations did not end with a wage increase. The strike would not have directly impacted the Swarthmore regional rail station but would have shut down the Market-Frankford and Broad Street underground subway lines and the bus systems. However, the workers members of the Swarthmore community will continue to encounter on the regional rail have been working without a contract since Thursday, Nov. 7, as they continue to demand higher compensation.
Representatives from Transport Workers Local Union 234, the union to which roughly 5,000 SEPTA workers belong, met with representatives from SEPTA on Sunday, Nov. 10, after a planned strike on Friday, Nov. 8 was delayed because negotiations were ongoing. Along with wage increases, the union is pushing for security measures to keep workers safe after recent attacks against train and bus operators. SEPTA has said its ongoing financial crisis — the authority is facing a $240 million deficit — limits its ability to increase compensation or provide safety benefits. A separate union, SMART Transportation Division Local 1594, whose workers are in the suburban bus and trolley lines also operated by SEPTA, has authorized a strike of their own for when their contract expires on Nov. 18.
Although the strike did not happen, and commuters were able to carry on as before, negotiations are still ongoing and demands are still being made. The union originally proposed a 10% raise, which was countered by SEPTA with an offer of a $1,000 bonus if workers made concessions in their healthcare plan.
“It was bad enough learning that SEPTA wants to give us a 0% raise,” wrote On The Move, Local 234’s newsletter on Oct. 23. “Then on Friday SEPTA confirmed what the Union has long known: that it will not commit to providing its employees with a safe working environment because it is too expensive.”
One of the safety issues raised is the tendency of the workers’ radio communication technology to fail, leaving workers without a way to call for help in case of an emergency. Previous newsletter posts have pointed to shootings on buses, including the death of Bernard Gribbin, a driver shot while on duty.
“We ARE on the front lines and danger does not discriminate,” On The Move wrote on Oct. 21. “Every single one of our members demands that SEPTA prioritizes our safety and stops forcing us to choose between our lives and our livelihoods. It is unacceptable that this company can try to fire employees for defending themselves when being assaulted. The union has won too many of these cases, but we should not have to fight for our right to safety. After an incident, SEPTA often offers [Employee Assistance Program] resources but then threatens discharge during informal hearings.”
As negotiations continue, Swarthmore students will be notified by Director of Campus Services Anthony Condo if they will be impacted by a union strike, and can continue to follow the Local 234’s newsletter for updates.
