PRIORITIES FOR 2024 & BEYOND

Benefits to Members 

In addition to collectively bargaining for fair and equitable contracts and working conditions on behalf of our members, we also provide additional legal protection for our members as participants in the FOP Legal Defense Plan. We offer our members an additional $30K in life insurance through MetLife, which includes accidental death/dismemberment. We maintain active FOP memberships for all of our members, which qualifies them for discounts and special offers on a wide variety of goods and services; including health insurance, car rentals, college tuition and much more. 

Paid Union Release Time 

Paid Union Release Time is an integral part of effective representation by an employee organization. This allows for select Union representatives to work full-time on union matters such as prosecuting grievances, engaging in the collective bargaining process on behalf of the bargaining unit, and even engaging in pro-union lobbying, all while getting paid by the employer. These representatives are typically fully released from the normal duties associated with their job title and, as such, free to perform their essential functions on behalf of the employees they represent with any fear of retaliation or retribution from management. For this reason, this practice has shown to better facilitate labor/management relations in the workplace.   

We are actively seeking parity with our union brothers and sisters in the Transportation Workers Union Local 234, who already have paid time release for their 5 elected board members of their union, whose salaries are paid directly by SEPTA. Paid Time Release for our 5 board members would allow us to focus on full time representation for our 250+ law enforcement members as well as actively engage in recruitment for our SEPTA Transit Police Department.  

2024-2026 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

Binding Arbitration 

Binding Arbitration is a legislative goal of the SEPTA FOP Lodge #109 as it would prevent the possibility of stalled negotiations with SEPTA from leading to a work stoppage. This process would provide for an impartial, third-party decision maker to facilitate a settlement in situations where SEPTA and the 

FOP Lodge #109 have reached an impasse in contractual negotiations. This practice is standard in law enforcement contract negotiations as it prevents essential personnel, such as police, from going on strike, which creates a dangerous void in the absence of any police presence. 

Heart and Lung Act 

The Pennsylvania Heart & Lung Act provides for wage and medical benefits for police officers and paid firefighters who are temporarily disabled due to an injury in the line of duty. It is a system that runs in parallel with workers compensation, but can in certain situations stand on its own. The SEPTA Transit Police Department is one of the only full-time police departments in Pennsylvania to not provide this coverage to its officers. Under our current policy, our officers receive only a portion of their pay if they are injured while on routine patrol. This severely inhibits our ability to recruit top quality candidates to join our ranks. 

 Recruitment Legislation 

Pennsylvania is currently considering a few bills that will give $2,500 to new recruits. We want to ensure SEPTA Transit Police officers are included in any of these recruitment initiatives.