What to Know
- The union that represents about 170 SEPTA police officers, the Fraternal Order of Transit Police Lodge 109, voted to go on strike Wednesday night.
- In what union officials called a "good faith effort" the union extended a set strike deadline from Nov. 20 to Dec. 13. But they were unable to reach an agreement.
- These transit officers have been working without a contract with SEPTA since March.
After pausing a threat to walk off the job over the Thanksgiving holiday, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 109, which represents SEPTA police officers, voted to go on strike Wednesday night.
The union represents the 170 police officers who patrol SEPTA’s stations and fleet of buses, subways, trains and trolleys.
Voting took place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Troy Parham, the transit police union vice president, said.
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"After that we will tally up. By 6:30, 7 p.m. we will know if we have an agreement or we will be on strike, effective immediately."
Shortly before 7 p.m., a spokesperson for the union announced that they did not reach an agreement on a contract and voted to go on strike.
Parham told reporters that of the 124 officers who voted, 83 voted to strike. “If they give us a deal that encompasses 36 months, we could sign it now.”
Union members have been working without a contract since March and extended a set strike date of Nov. 20 to Dec. 13, in what union officials called a "good faith effort."
But, in a statement, union president Omari Bervine, who is a SEPTA patrol officer, said little progress toward a contract has been made.
“It’s insulting that management devalues the work of transit police and wants to short change my members,” Bervine said. “We’re not asking for a dime more than what we were promised, but we are being offered less per capita and lower raises over a longer period.”
A final bargaining session was held Tuesday and, members were expected to review the terms of any offer that came out of that session during Wednesday's vote, union officials said.
Union officials said that if members voted against ratification of any offer that comes out of that final bargaining session, they would immediately go on strike.
In a statement on this week's bargaining, the union said it did a cost analysis of SEPTA’s latest offer, the union’s proposal, and a comparison to a deal that the mass transit provider recently penned with the Transit Workers Union Local 234.
The union said that SEPTA police staffing is at about 25-percent below the "budgeted head count" and that transit officers are paid less than comparable officer roles at Amtrak, Temple University or the Philadelphia Police Department.
In noting a recent stabbing attack that was stopped by a SEPTA police officer, union president Bervine argued SEPTA needs to do more to support the officers that patrol the transit system.
“Throughout these negotiations, SEPTA has demonstrated that they’re not serious about the riding public’s safety,” said Bervine. “If they wanted to tackle transit crime management should commit to fully staffing the police department and do everything within their power to retain officers it now employs. We’re needed out there. Three people were recently stabbed by an assailant in an unprovoked attack. He was stopped and shot by one of our officers. If a patrol officer hadn’t been there far more riders and transit workers would likely have been harmed.”
Yet, on Tuesday morning, SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said that the company's proposed "three-year contract would be the same as what TWU members received over their previous two-year deal," plus the one-year deal that transit workers began in November.
"SEPTA's proposal would provide our officers with 13% wage increases over three years. There is also a $3,000 signing bonus contingent on there not being a strike, and retirement-eligible officers would get a $2,500 retention bonus," Busch said. "I would also like to note that last year, police officers were given an unscheduled, in-contract pay increase that averaged more than 17%. This was unprecedented for SEPTA. It helped us make their pay more competitive with neighboring departments, has helped greatly with recruitment and retention, and recognized the hard work and dedication of our police officers."
He said that SEPTA's officers also received a scheduled 3.5% annual increase in March, "and this proposal would continue to provide raises and excellent benefits over the life of the contract."
The leadership of the police union has not recommended accepting SEPTA’s contract proposal.
But, Busch said that if an agreement can be reached, officers could get the $3,000 signing bonus in the coming weeks.
The last time SEPTA police went on strike was in 2019.
With SEPTA police set to strike, officers from other agencies will be brought in to cover the transit system.
According to SEPTA officials, supervisors of the transit police team are expected to work extended shifts at terminals, hot spots and transit corridors.
“So, every police department is short cops. Why are they going to take on the responsibility of covering an area that has a police department? No more than we would do that for them. That makes no sense,” Parham said “If they’re suggesting they’re going to pay them overtime to do that, pay us.”
Local law enforcement, including various university police departments and counties outside of the city that are served by SEPTA will be stepping up to handle patrol checks and other duties.
Meanwhile, private security guards will be going to locations as needed and will be focused on supporting the Market-Frankford and Broad Street Lines.
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