Stephen Bruno, vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said in a Philadelphia Inquirer article that his union would "probably" strike, a move that could leave the Regional Rail shuttered.
It comes in response to SEPTA's unilateral move of proposing to issue raises for electrical workers and engineers (rather than negotiating the raise amounts). Meanwhile, SEPTA seems content to risk a strike now, rather than in winter when ridership is up. Here's more:
SEPTA's goal apparently is to risk a strike now, when ridership is lower, than next winter, when more commuters and students rely on the system. Regional Rail trains carry about 126,000 riders a day. "We need to get an agreement now," SEPTA general manager Joseph Casey said Monday. "Seven thousand other SEPTA employees have already accepted this wage package, but these 400 are holding out." Read more about this story on PBJ.com.
