Nearly two dozen transit police officers gathered in a corner of Jefferson Station early Thursday morning to picket, taking selfies in their sandwich-board signs that read “On strike: SEPTA Transit Police” before heading to the agency’s Market Street headquarters.
Once there, the officers were greeted by horn honks in solidarity, including from the driver of a pro-76Place arena billboard truck sponsored by Local 158, Philadelphia’s carpenter union.
The officers walked off the job about 7 p.m. Wednesday on the strength of a two-thirds vote of members of the Fraternal Order of Transit Police Lodge 109 to strike rather than accept SEPTA’s latest contract offer.
They’ve been working without an agreement since March 31 and bargaining with SEPTA, with the aid of a state mediator, for almost nine months. The two sides were scheduled to return to talks at 2 p.m. Thursday.
“We’ve been stuck in the same place for a while, but it will be good that we’re back talking,” SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said.
LINK: https://www.inquirer.com/transportation/septa-transit-police-strike-2023-update-20231214.html#loaded
