Candis R. McLean
The disagreement between SEPTA and the TWU Local 234 union is over. The SEPTA strike lasted six days and to the relief of the people of the city, it has come to an end.
Pat Deon, the chairman of the SEPTA board, announced this morning:
“We are pleased this morning to announce a tentative agreement with TW local 234. This will end the strike and SEPTA, the city transit division will be phased back in. We believe this agreement is fair to all of our employees and our customers and our taxpayers. We know that the strike has caused hardship for thousands of our riders and we sincerely regret this disruption. We cannot thank our customers enough for their patience. We look forward to getting our service back as soon as possible.”
Picture via 6abc’s Annie McCormick.
Along with Deon, officials Dwight Evans, Jeff Knueppel, and TWU Local president Willie Brown were in attendance. SEPTA asserts service will be restored fully within 24 hours. The phase in process takes 4-6 hours. The Broad Street Line and Market Frankford Line will be pick up immediately. The service is “hit or miss,” according to Evans. Heavier bus routes will pick up during the morning and the hope is that the service will be fully operational by the late afternoon.
BSL: Limited bus, trolley, and subway service will resume later today. Check System Status for updates on your routes.
— SEPTA (@SEPTA) November 7, 2016
MFL: Limited bus, trolley, and subway service will resume later today. Check System Status for updates on your routes.
— SEPTA (@SEPTA) November 7, 2016
The new five-year deal has to be ratified by the union. Representatives say the election did not factor into getting the deal done. The people of the city and their displacement became a central reason to bring the strike to a closure. The representatives also said that the injunctions by both the mayor and the governor played no part in the agreement. Funding for the deal will come from the budget. Pat Deon stated that the money, according to “Act 44”, is a part of the yearly budget. Fares will increase, as routinely do every three years. Deon stated, “No new money was needed.”
The settlement is a great relief to the city and its citizens. Please look to the SEPTA website to see when your line or route is fully restored.