SEPTA, transit police enter final day of contract negotiations before possible strike
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Contract negotiations between SEPTA and Fraternal Order of Transit Police Lodge 109, the union representing the transit authority's police officers, will continue Tuesday. If no deal is reached, transit officers could strike on Wednesday.
The final bargaining session between SEPTA's management and the FOTP Lodge 109 begins Tuesday at noon. The union plans to vote Wednesday on SEPTA's offer, and if it isn't approved, the union claims the officers will immediately go on strike.
If SEPTA police officers go on strike, that means they won't be walking up and down the subway platforms on patrol or responding to incidents on the train or bus. It would come at a time when some riders feel they're not safe riding SEPTA.
Union vice president Troy Parham says any contract negotiation centers around three things: Wages, benefits and the term of the contract. Parham says both sides have agreed on wages and benefits, but they're stuck on the term of the contract.
Parham says SEPTA wants a 44-month contract, but the union is demanding a 36-month contract.
The union rejects the longer contract because that would delay the timing of salary increases.
"We don't want the public to be caught in the middle of this and at the end of the day, their safety is paramount," Parham said. "That's what we want to do. But at the same token, we don't want to get taken advantage of either."
The union says it was originally planning to strike on Nov. 20 if no deal was reached but extended the deadline to Dec. 13 in a good-faith effort.
Transit police say they've been working without a contract since March.
Both sides are hoping to reach an agreement on a new contract on Tuesday, but a SEPTA spokesperson says there is a contingency plan in place if that doesn't happen.
"In addition to having local police to help us with patrols and check-ins and response, we would have all of our supervisory SEPTA police officers would be out patrolling on the system," SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said. "So it's a mix of those resources coming together to give us the coverage we need. Again, not an ideal scenario, not one that anybody wants to see happen, but we do have to have a plan to ensure safety and security for riders if we do end up with a strike."
CBS News Philadelphia spoke with a couple of SEPTA riders Tuesday to see what they think.
"I mean, it's expensive out here, pretty much like that," SEPTA rider Aneesh Samuel said. "So definitely if they're demanding for them, I believe they deserve it also, definitely."
"It's going to affect everybody's safety," Tisha Fells said. "So now they're going to need the Philadelphia Police out here more."
If transit police go on strike, it won't be the first time. They also went on strike in 2019 and 2012.
