SEPTA says progress made on union negotiations. Strike still looming?

A SEPTA spokesperson said that a Thursday night meeting between its management and one of its unions made some progress. It's the first time SEPTA has made such a positive announcement during this round of negotiations.

"Progress was made tonight during an informal meeting attended by SEPTA management and TWU Local 234 negotiation team leaders," said Jerri Williams director of media relations for SEPTA. "A possible two-year contract is being discussed. Talks will continue tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. at an undisclosed location."

TWU Local 234 has stayed on the job even after its contract at midnight on March 15. The last of three SEPTA union contracts (for its Frontier Division) expires Sunday night. The main sticking points are pension funding, health care and the use of surveillance cameras.

In mid-March, SEPTA released a contingency plan to tell riders how to get around in the event of a strike. The union said that was just posturing to get the public to favor SEPTA in the negotiations. At the time, a union spokesperson said the two sides are "worlds apart" but if the recent SEPTA announcement is any indication, the two sides may be closer to an agreement.

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal