Members of TWU Local 234 have announced that they will stay
on the job, even though its current contract expires at midnight on March 15.
The union is also negotiating new contracts for employees at SEPTA’s Frontier
and Red Arrow Divisions and those contracts expire during the first week of
April. If there is a strike, expect it to happen then and involve all three TWU
bargaining units — but that leaves plenty of time to negotiate.
“We’re willing to go the extra mile to reach a fair
agreement,” said TWU Local 234 President Willie Brown in a prepared statement.
“We’re not willing to sign on to a lengthy contract extension or make hasty
decisions having a long-term effect on our members’ family finances.”
TWU Local 234 spokesperson Jamie Horowitz said the two sides
are still "worlds apart" on several issues including pension funding,
health care and the use of surveillance cameras.
“We’ll continue talking with management and with the leaders
of our sister unions who represent SEPTA workers,” said Brown. “Our goal is an
agreement that is fair to our members and to their families, and which
maintains excellent service for SEPTA riders. Some of the issues are new and
complicated such as the impact of the Affordable Care Act. We don’t want to
rush things or try to address problems that don’t yet exist. Our goal is to get
a good contract without disrupting service to the riding public, but at the end
of the day SEPTA must be willing to do the same.”
The union represents 4,700 bus drivers, subway and trolley
operators, and maintenance workers in SEPTA’s City Transit Division.
SEPTA spokesperson Jerri Williams said in a press conference
on Friday morning that the transit authority is hoping to get a three-month
extension to continue negotiations, but the union is likely to balk at such a
deal given the time frame. She also announced a contingency plan if the workers
went on strike and shut down subways, buses and trolleys in Philadelphia.
Source: Philadelphia
Business Journal
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