Philly faces possible transit workers’ strike days before Phillies host Yankees in Series

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Philly hopes to avoid World Series transit strike

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia’s transit agency remained in negotiations with its largest union Thursday in hopes of avoiding a strike that could disrupt bus and subway services just as the New York Yankees come to town for the World Series.

The Transport Workers Local 234, which represents 4,700 bus and subway operators, mechanics and cashiers, says its members will walk out if a new contract with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is not reached by the end of the week — possibly as early as 12:01 a.m. Saturday.

The third and fourth games of the World Series between the Phillies and Yankees are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in Philadelphia; a fifth game, if necessary, would also be in the city Monday.

A strike would bring most SEPTA services in the city to a stop, including subways, buses and trolleys. Regional rail trains, whose workers are represented by another union, would continue to operate, as would paratransit service.

“I would hope that the union would agree that we aren’t that far apart on these issues,” SEPTA spokesman Richard Maloney said. “We certainly are optimistic.”

In 2005, a seven-day walkout by the union idled buses, subways and trolleys.

The union voted Sunday to authorize a strike, saying workers have been without a contract since March and have not had a raise since December.

According to union officials, SEPTA management has offered no wage increase for the first two years of a four-year contract and a 2 percent increase in each of the final two years.

The authority also wants to increase worker contributions to health coverage from 1 percent to 4 percent and freeze the level of pension benefits, the union said.

The union is seeking a 4 percent annual raise and also wants pension contributions to rise from $75 to $100 for each year of service. It also wants its members to do maintenance and repair work on buses and trolleys that is now done by outside contractors.

Allison Cooper, the union’s vice president, said the agency has received money from the federal stimulus package and reported increases in fare collections — meaning transit workers should see more financial benefits.

The union also has concerns about changes SEPTA wants to make involving whether senior employees get to pick what types of work they want to do, Cooper said.