No SEPTA Deal Yet, But Strike Is Not Imminent
By Tim Jimenez
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- The Presidential Emergency Board established back in June, which stopped a one-day SEPTA regional rail train strike, is set to expire next week.
The good news for SEPTA riders is there won't be a strike anytime in the near future. SEPTA is set to request a second Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) if there is no deal between the agency and the union representing the regional rail engineers by 12:01 October 13.
Both sides met Monday. SEPTA spokeswoman Jerri Williams calls meeting "productive" and Steve Bruno, Vice President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers says it was "fairly decent."
"It's up to SEPTA at this point. We've made significant movement to try to address the issues."
Among those issues, safety and equipment according to Bruno.
The engineers have been working without a contract for five years. Again, a strike is not imminent but if another PEB expires, there could be one in February.