SEPTA, transport workers union reach new contract to avoid strike

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Philadelphia Area Transit Deal Closes Just Hours Before Strike Would Have Begun as Governor Intervenes with Last-Minute Agreement.

Tensions at Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) appeared poised to boil over on Monday morning, only for officials and Transport Workers Union Local 234 leaders to announce a tentative agreement that will avoid a strike. The deal marks the end of a long-fought contract standoff between SEPTA and its largest union, covering approximately 5,000 bus, trolley, and subway operators.

According to TWU Local 234 President Will Vera, the agreement includes significant gains for workers. A two-year contract promises 3.5% across-the-board wage increases annually, boosts pension benefits for retiring employees, enhances differential night pay, improves tool allowances, and offers enhanced healthcare coverage for new hires – including vision and dental plans after a mere 90 days on the job.

"We're thrilled with this deal," Vera stated, crediting Governor Josh Shapiro's intervention in getting negotiators back to the table. "Without the Governor's involvement, we would have been walking out on strike this morning."

Governor Shapiro played a key role in brokering a deal just hours before the contract deadline. Union leaders had previously authorized a strike if negotiations failed and had threatened to walk off the job last Friday.

SEPTA officials hailed the agreement as "fiscally responsible" for frontline workers, with Board Chair Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr. praising Shapiro's efforts in facilitating discussions over the weekend.

Now that the deal has been reached, SEPTA plans to move forward on negotiating a new contract with SMART Local 1594, another union representing over 300 bus, train, and trolley operators across Montgomery County, Delaware, and Chester counties. However, officials remain optimistic about being able to close this agreement as well.

The recent deal also comes as the latest in Governor Shapiro's efforts to mitigate transit service disruptions in the Philadelphia area. This past month, he facilitated a $220 million infusion from PennDOT's Public Transit Trust Fund to expedite Regional Rail service restoration and tackle other capital projects – including trolley overhead wiring upgrades and escalator replacements at 13 stations.

With the latest agreement avoiding a strike, SEPTA officials can now breathe easier knowing that mass transit service will remain intact for its approximately 790,000 daily users.
 
Man I was so worried about the strike this morning... thankfully they came to their senses 🙏 and made a deal! It's awesome that Governor Shapiro stepped in to help broker the agreement - those union leaders were gonna cause some major headaches for commuters 😬. Now we can all breathe a sigh of relief knowing SEPTA is stable again 💼. I'm glad the TWU Local 234 got some sweet gains out of it, especially with those vision and dental plans 🎉. Fingers crossed they can wrap up that deal with SMART Local 1594 too!
 
😊 I'm so glad to hear that a deal was reached between SEPTA and the Transport Workers Union Local 234 just in time! It's amazing how Governor Shapiro stepped in at the last minute to help negotiate a contract that includes some really awesome perks for workers 🙌. The 3.5% annual wage increases and enhanced healthcare coverage are definitely wins for frontline employees 💼. And can we talk about how fiscally responsible this deal is? It's all about finding a balance between meeting the needs of workers and keeping transit services running smoothly 💡. Now, let's keep our fingers crossed that they can close another agreement with SMART Local 1594 soon 🤞!
 
🚂💼 the deal is def a good thing 🤝! I mean, those workers were fighting for fair wages and benefits and it's awesome they got what they wanted 3.5% annual raises aren't bad at all 🤑 and improved healthcare coverage for new hires is a big win too 👍. governor shapiro stepping in just in the nick of time was super helpful 💡. now septa can focus on negotiating with other unions without having to worry about another strike 🤯 and the mass transit users are gonna be happy too 😊. here's a little diagram to sum it up:


+-----------+
| Governor |
| Shapiro |
+-----------+
|
| (step in at last min)
v
+-----------+---------------+
| Union | SEPTA |
| Negotia- | Officials |
+-----------+---------------+
|
| (agreement reached)
v
+-----------+
| Peace |
| and |
| progress 🚂💼
 
this deal is like a snapshot of our society - we got the powerful ones (gov and union leaders) coming together to make sure the little guys are taken care of... but at what cost? are we just delaying the inevitable when it comes to fixing the financial mess that SEPTA's in? i mean, 3.5% wage increases every year is a big win for workers, but what about the future of our public transportation system if we keep throwing money at it without addressing the underlying issues?
 
just had to chill out when i heard about the SEPTA deal 🙏 i mean, 3.5% wage increases annually isnt bad lol but seriously, cant believe governor shapiro stepped in at the last minute 👮‍♂️ he saved the day for those transit workers who have been fighting for a long time 💪 now lets keep the momentum going and get that deal with SMART local 1594 resolved 🤞
 
Omg I'm so relieved about this deal! It's amazing how Governor Shapiro stepped in and helped save the day 🙌! The TWU Local 234 leaders must be super happy too, especially with those sweet wage increases and better benefits 💸👍 I feel like mass transit workers deserve all the love right now ❤️. And can we talk about how awesome it is that there's a new deal for SMART Local 1594? Fingers crossed they get something similar 🤞 SEPTA's users are super lucky to have reliable service with this deal in place 🚌👍
 
omg u guys i was literally freaking out thinking about the septa strike yesterday lol thankfully governor shapiro stepped in and saved the day 🙏 now i can go back to riding my favorite subway lines without worrying about delays 😂 so yeah idk how those union leaders would've handled a walkout with no contract deal but im glad they worked things out 💕 btw anyone else notice the gov's been making some major moves for public transportation in philly lately? 💸
 
😊 I'm glad to see the tension is resolved without any major disruptions to public transport. The 3.5% wage increases and enhanced benefits are definitely a win for workers, and Governor Shapiro's intervention was a huge relief. It's always stressful when union leaders threaten strikes, but thankfully, cooler heads prevailed this time 🙏. Now, I'm curious about the next contract negotiations with SMART Local 1594 – fingers crossed they can come to a similar agreement 😅.
 
omg i was so worried about septa workers going on strike yesterday 🤯! but it's amazing to see governor shapiro step in and help them get a deal done 💪! the 3.5% annual wage increases and enhanced healthcare coverage are huge wins for the workers 👍. it's not always easy negotiating contracts, so kudos to the union reps and septa officials for making this work 🙌. now that we've got the immediate crisis averted, i'm curious to see how the deal with smart local 1594 plays out 🤔. fingers crossed they can get something done too! 💕
 
man I was really worried about the impact of this strike on Philly's transportation system 🚨🚌, especially with all those people depending on it to get around. but it looks like Governor Shapiro's intervention paid off and we've got a deal 🤝. I'm glad the TWU Local 234 and SEPTA were able to come to an agreement that includes some significant gains for workers, it's not often you see unions making concessions for the greater good 💸.

I think this is also a testament to Governor Shapiro's efforts to support public transportation in Philly, especially after the recent infusion of funds from PennDOT 🤑. Now that we've got this deal out of the way, I'm curious to see how the negotiations with SMART Local 1594 play out - fingers crossed they can reach an agreement too 🤞.

one thing that does stand out to me is how much of a difference Governor Shapiro's involvement made in getting these parties back to the table, it really shows that he's committed to finding solutions that work for everyone 🙏.
 
🤔 This is a big relief for commuters in Philly - I'm glad they could avoid a strike, but like, what's with the last-minute intervention from Governor Shapiro? 🙄 Can't we have more transparency about how deals are being made behind closed doors? 💁‍♀️ Still, it's great to see workers getting some serious gains, especially on healthcare and pension benefits. 3.5% raises aren't bad either! 🤑 It's also interesting that there's another union deal in the works - fingers crossed they can come to a similar agreement without disruption 🤞
 
I'm so relieved this deal is done 🙌 but at the same time, I think the union's demands aren't unreasonable... wait, no, they totally are 😒 I mean, 3.5% annual wage increases and better pension benefits are a bit steep for SEPTA's budget 🤔. But on the other hand, workers have been struggling to make ends meet and deserve some extra perks 🤑. It's just that... we can't just give away all our money 💸 to appease the unions without considering the impact on taxpayers and commuters 🚫. Unless... unless we should be prioritizing the well-being of our public servants over everyone else? 😕 Ugh, I don't know anymore...
 
man this is all so surreal... like we're living in a simulation or something 🤯 think about it, people who work on the transit system are literally fighting to get better benefits and safe working conditions but nobody really stops to think about the people who actually use those services 700k+ daily? what's up with that? SEPTA officials are hailing this as a 'fiscally responsible' deal but I'm not buying it - it's just another example of how workers get pushed around for the sake of profit. and governor Shapiro's just a middleman, using his power to keep things from going down in flames... what does that say about our society?
 
🙌 I mean, what's not to like about Governor Shapiro stepping in and saving the day? He literally prevented a strike from happening on Monday morning 😅. And the deal itself isn't too shabby either – those workers are gonna be happy with the 3.5% annual wage increases and the extra healthcare perks 🤝. I think it's awesome that he brought everyone back to the table, even if it was just hours before the deadline ⏰. Now let's see how things shake out with SMART Local 1594 – fingers crossed they can come to a similar agreement 🤞. The fact that SEPTA is already looking into negotiating a new contract is super promising too 💼. Can't wait to ride the trolley and subway without any disruptions this summer 😎
 
😊 just crazy how things can change in an instant! so happy to hear about this last-minute deal, gotta give props to Gov Shapiro for stepping in and helping us avoid a strike 🙌 those frontline workers deserve better pay & benefits, it's awesome that they got some major gains. also, 3.5% annual wage increases might not seem like a lot but trust me when i say it adds up over time 💸 now let's hope they can hammer out another deal with SMART Local 1594 soon 🤞
 
I'm thinking, what's up with all these strikes happening in Philly? 🤔 It's like Governor Shapiro is trying to be the hero, bro! But seriously though, I think this deal is a win-win for everyone involved. Those workers are gonna love that 3.5% annual raise and better healthcare benefits – it's about time they got some respect, right? 💸

But let me ask you, why does SEPTA need to negotiate new contracts with SMART Local 1594 every few years? It feels like a never-ending cycle of "we're gonna strike unless we get what we want." 🤝 Can't they just have a stable schedule and decent pay from the start? That way, everyone could just focus on getting around Philly without all the drama.
 
Mega relief 🙌 for Philly commuters! Finally some stability on SEPTA's trains 🚂👍. Those workers deserve better pay & benefits 💸🏥. Governor Shapiro stepping up his game 👊. Better yet, no more strikes for SEPTA! 🚫
 
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