SEPTA’s transit police walked off the job on Wednesday night amid months of contract negotiations.
The agency has been in discussion with the Fraternal Order of Transit Police Lodge 109, which represents transit police officers, since April but has yet to reach an agreement on a new contract for workers.
SEPTA’s workforce is represented by at least 14 bargaining units, and many are already in negotiations with the agency or will be in the coming months for new contracts. The discussions are occurring at a time when SEPTA anticipates facing an annual $240 million deficit in its operating budget starting in 2024.
Will SEPTA Transit Police go on strike?
The transit police officers’ contract expired on March 31, and negotiations between SEPTA and the Fraternal Order of Transit Police Lodge 109 have not yet reached a new agreement. The two parties have been negotiating since April and have had 13 formal negotiating sessions prior to this weekend. A state mediator joined the process in September, according to SEPTA.
Union members voted in October to authorize a walkout if necessary. Members voted to strike on Wednesday evening after union leadership put the authority’s latest offer before the members without recommending support.
