What the SEPTA Strike Means for You

Halloween isn’t the only thing haunting the city of Philadelphia today. Midnight marks the deadline for the TWU (Transit Workers Union) Local 234 and SEPTA officials to agree on a mutual deal before the union goes on strike. The quickly approaching cutoff time makes an impending mass transit strike more plausible with each hour that passes. The halt in service would stop the BSL (Broad Street Line), MFL (Market Frankford Line), and trolley services throughout the city. TWU Local 234 stated that talks “took a big step backward” over the weekend.

The worker’s union and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) continue to haggle and negotiate over healthcare costs, break times, wages, pensions, and more. The suggested proposal would increase the cost of healthcare coverage per family and limit the workers pensions, according to a TWU Local 234 representative. Over 5, 7000 SEPTA workers are prepared to strike Tuesday, November 1^st if an applicable deal doesn’t materialize in the coming hours.

The 11^th strike SEPTA history would affect its labors, displace thousands of workers and students, and have ramifications all over the city. The Philadelphia School District estimates more than 60,000 students rely on SEPTA. The district has place information about absents and lateness as a result of the strike on their website. Several Philadelphians will have to find alternate ways to go to work and to commute home if the strike becomes a reality. The union walkout, if it goes into next week, could make getting to the polls problematic for some during next week’s elections.  SEPTA has put together an interruption guide outlining what will run and cease during the stoppage. The Regional Rails, Norristown High Speed Line, Suburban Bus, Trolley routes 102 and 102, LUCY, and CCT Connect will remain operating as usual. SEPTA warns passengers to be prepared for cramped train cars and stations.

For the thousands of inconvenienced people, no contingency plan will be adequate if the strike ensues. Whether you’re forced to walk, carpool, use Uber or Lyft, the disturbance of service will permeate everywhere. The city can only hope that if the talks in the next few hours come to a screeching halt, the length of the standstill is brief and short-lived.