"Little Caesar" Cut Out of SEPTA Negotiations

Union leader says Philly's mayor brings "nothing to the table"

By KAREN ARAIZA

Updated 12:43 PM EST, Thu, Nov 5, 2009

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SEPTA's largest union wants to shut Mayor Michael Nutter out of any strike negotiations.

Willie Brown, president of TWU Local 234, called the mayor "Little Caesar," and said "Nutter's brought nothing to the table."

He said the mayor's presence at the talks isn't necessary. "He has no real jurisdiction," Brown said of Nutter. "He's not bringing money to the table. I think its better, because of the bad blood that he stays out."

Brown said he will negotiate with Governor Ed Rendell, but "who I won't meet with is Michael Nutter."

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"I'm always open to Governor Rendell," Brown said with a smile. "He's the governor, I respect the office...it's not about egos, I'll talk to anybody. My interest is getting this contract resolved."

The union went on strike overnight Monday when negotiations broke down after Game 5 of the World Series.

Workers hit the picket lines at 3 a.m. Tuesday. It was a rude awakening for many commuters, who were caught off guard.

Brown's comments about Nutter came in a press conference he held Wednesday to explain why workers walked off the job. Pension is the biggest issue.

"Our pension is grossly underfunded," Brown said. "We're not being unreasonable, we're just asking for a fair contract."

Brown said workers' pensions were about 50-percent funded, whereas SEPTA management pensions were funded 90-percent.

"We put twice as much in, they get twice as much out," he said. "We'll stay out as long as it takes to secure our pension."

Brown said the union was scheduled to meet with Rendell either Wednesday or Thursday. He read from a statement and did not answer questions about the train fire on the R5 a few hours earlier at Overbrook Station.

First Published: Nov 4, 2009 12:14 PM EST

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0 Comments

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