PHILADELPHIA — Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority locomotive engineers and conductors are voting on a strike authorization, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and SMART-TD unions announced today.
Results of voting, which began today, will be announced on Nov. 20. If a majority of engineers back a strike, the referendum would allow BLET National President Eddie Hall to order a work stoppage.
BLET represents about 160 locomotive engineers at SEPTA. The Philadelphia-area transit agency and the engineers’ union have been in negotiations since March 2022, when the previous four-year contract expired.
“For BLET members, major sticking points throughout negotiations have been low wages and SEPTA’s continued use of managers to perform the work of locomotive engineers,” the union said. “BLET General Chairman Don Hill reports that the engineers’ and conductors’ top pay rate is about 20% below their nearest peers. The non-competitive pay has caused the engineer ranks to sink. Chairman Hill says the engineer roster is at 160 when it should be closer to 230.”
Many SEPTA engineers have left for employment at Amtrak and elsewhere, the union says.
The union says the engineer shortage has led to service disruptions that have stranded passengers. Instead of offering higher pay to retain engineers, the union claims that the railroad has been paying its managers extra to fulfill its service obligations.
“The compensation offered on this property is not competitive,” Hall says. “The low wages have driven engineers away at a rapid pace, leading to severe manpower shortages. I am confident our members will make their voices heard loud and clear with this strike vote, and we will abide by the provisions of the Railway Labor Act as we pursue self-help.”
SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson said in a statement that “At minimum, SEPTA management should show labor the respect it deserves and negotiate in good faith. Instead, SEPTA refuses to adjust its initial proposals or acknowledge the various packages proposed by SMART-TD. With that, I have authorized a strike vote for our SEPTA passenger service members.”
SEPTA is facing a fiscal cliff next year, when its COVID-19 relief funding will run out. That will create a $240 million hole in the agency’s operating budget.
— Updated Oct. 24 at 7:15 a.m. CDT with comment from SMART-TD president.
The Commonwealth of PA does not provide as much support as do other NEC State Governments.
SEPTA’s RR Division is subject to the Railway Labor Act which puts many steps in the way of a strike. This vote is Step 1. There could be years to go. Just ask any Class 1 freight union.