Union, SEPTA Agree On Tentative Contract To Avoid Transit Strike

PHILADELPHIA — The union representing more than 5,000 SEPTA workers has reached an agreement with the transit authority, avoiding a potential strike, officials said Monday.

TWU Local 234 and SEPTA have come to a tentative agreement that prevents service disruption to all SEPTA modes of travel, SEPTA said Monday afternoon.

This news comes just hours after SEPTA said it and the union had "productive contract discussions" over the weekend. SEPTA said Gov. Josh Shapiro was instrumental in helping it and the union come to the tentative agreement during the weekend's discussions.

TWU Local 234 — which represents bus, train and trolley drivers, mechanics, maintenance staff, cashiers, and custodians — had been working without a new contract since Nov. 7.

This tentative contract is for two years, and includes wage increases and a temporary pension enhancement for TWU members who retire during the term of the contract, while maintaining healthcare and other benefits. It also adds a program designed to improve absence management, and increases the pay differential for night shifts – two measures that are expected to help SEPTA ensure it has adequate staffing available as it works to improve service reliability.

The agreement will be finalized pending ratification by union members and approval by the SEPTA Board.

"The tentative contract agreement is both fair to our hardworking frontline employees, and fiscally responsible to our fare-paying riders and the taxpayers who fund SEPTA," SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer said.

TWU Local 234 President Will Vera and TWU International President John Samuelsen announced Friday night a strike was "imminent."

"SEPTA is attacking our health benefits; they're attacking our retirement security. They're not taking this contract negotiation seriously," Samuelsen said. "SEPTA is playing fast and loose with the city of Philadelphia. It's not on the TWU, it's on the management of SEPTA."

The union accused SEPTA of refusing to "negotiate in good faith regarding necessary quality-of-life changes for hardworking, blue-collar Local 234 members."