PHILADELPHIA — Police for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority have gone on strike, with the nation’s sixth-largest transportation agency calling on other law-enforcement bodies to fill in throughout the system.
WHYY reports 83 of 124 members of the Fraternal Order of Transit Police Lodge No. 109 voted to strike, with Troy Parham, the organization’s first vice president, saying officers have been working without a contract since March and that pay is the primary issue. SEPTA says it offered a three-year deal offering a 13% raise over the life of the contract; the union says it never received that offer.
SEPTA spokesman Andrew Busch said there will be a steady police presence at terminals, transfer points, and other key locations, with officers from the Philadelphia Police Deparment, university police departments and other agencies patrolling, according to Philly Voice. Private security guards will patrol the Market-Frankford and Broad Street subway lines.
“It’s not a plan that we want to put into place and it’s not one that they [the other agencies] could continue long-term,” Busch said. “But we do have to plan for any contingencies and make sure that we have the ability to continue to safely offer service to our customers and keep our stations open.”
Busch said SEPTA is prepared to continue negotiations, which have been assisted by a state mediator since Sept. 1.
Previous strikes by SEPTA police were in 2012 and 2019.
12-16-2023: SEPTA and its Police have reached a tentative agreement. Officers are coming back for the 2300 shift 12-16-2023.
SEPTA Police are paid less than Phila Police. Deal they turned down was not as genreous as the TWU 234 (city transit) deal. SEPTA Police in separate incidents caught two fugitive knife attackers.
Is it safe to say this article is about a “cop out?”
Ba-da, Bump!