The union representing SEPTA’s transit police officers voted 83 out of 124 to strike, according to Troy Parham, first vice president of the Fraternal Order of Transit Police Lodge #109. SEPTA said the strike would not impact route operations and plans are in place to cover the patrol areas.
Parham said officers have been working without a contract since March, with the main issue being pay.
“[Rider safety is] paramount to us. But we’re not here to get taken advantage of. This is not our strike. This is a management strike. They know what it would’ve taken to keep us at work, and they know what it will take to get us back to work. The ball is in their court,” Parham said during a news conference following Wednesday’s vote.
SEPTA Spokesperson Andrew Busch said SEPTA had been notified of the strike around 7 p.m.
“Our negotiating team is ready to go at any time,” Busch said. “We’re hopeful that maybe we can get a session with everybody back at the table, along with the state mediator who has been part of the talks. We’re hoping that we can get everyone back together tomorrow and try to make this strike as short as possible.”
LINK: https://whyy.org/articles/septa-transit-police-union-votes-go-on-strike-what-to-know/
