SEPTA union ready to strike, places blame on transit agency<\/p>\n
TWU International President John Samuelsen announced Friday that a strike is \u201cimminent,\u201d and directed all transit division and local presidents from across the country \u2014 along with the entire union staff \u2014 to come to Philadelphia to support a work stoppage.\n<\/p>\n
Union leaders are seeking \u201cmodest raises,\u201d pension increases, changes to working conditions and improvements to health care, according to 6abc<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n \u201cSEPTA is attacking our health benefits; they\u2019re attacking our retirement security,\u201d Samuelsen said in a statement. \u201cThey\u2019re not taking this contract negotiation seriously. SEPTA is playing fast and loose with the city of Philadelphia. It\u2019s not on the TWU, it\u2019s on the management of SEPTA.\u201d\n<\/p>\n SEPTA said it continues to negotiate in good faith and has insisted a deal can be reached without a strike. On Sunday, SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said more information will be provided \u201cas soon as we know more.\u201d\n <\/p>\n With SEPTA negotiating with 17 different unions, officials believe an agreement with Local 234 will set the tone for the rest.\n<\/p>\n It\u2019s the third straight year that Local 234 workers have voted to authorize a strike. Late last year, the union narrowly reached<\/a> a deal to avoid a work stoppage.\n<\/p>\n In 2016, TWU Local 234 went on strike<\/a> after failing to reach a contract agreement, and in 2009, a similar SEPTA strike<\/a> lasted six days.\n<\/p>\n During the summer in New Jersey, NJ Transit\u2019s<\/a> train engineers went on strike for three days in the state\u2019s first transit strike in over 40 years, according to the Associated Press<\/a>. The strike halted service for roughly 100,000 daily riders<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n