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Your last normal SEPTA ride for a while could be filled with passengers dressed up as devils and witches or costumed as characters from “Wandavision.”
Midnight on Halloween is the expiration date for the contract between the Philly region’s transit authority and Transport Workers Union Local 234. The union represents more than 5,000 SEPTA workers, from bus drivers to cashiers, and authorized a strike last weekend if an agreement isn’t met by the deadline.
A strike would shut down bus, trolley, and subway service inside the city, although Regional Rail would still run, likely with increased frequency.
Note: It’s not guaranteed workers will walk off the job at exactly 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 1. Union leadership could decide to wait until after Election Day — or not to strike at all.
But history shows it’s likely, as SEPTA has been called the most-strike prone transit agency in the nation.
Here’s a look at how the previous TWU Local 234 work stoppages went down, and what to expect this time around.
When workers walked off the job in 1971, the strike lasted nine days. SEPTA got a court injunction two days in, but workers defied it. That led to fines and the brief imprisonment of union president Dom DeClerico, per TWU history. The union eventually called off the strike, deciding it served no one. The contract hammered out included a 75¢ raise and pension boost.
This year saw an 11-day walkout in search of a cost-of-living clause that would automatically boost pay as inflation swept through the nation’s economy. State officials refused to kick in funding, and after nearly a week of final negotiations, then-Mayor Frank Rizzo announced $7.5 million in additional city funding.
Two years after that deal, the union went on its longest strike to date. The 1977 walk-off lasted 44 days, more than six weeks. Rizzo refused to kick in any further funding, reportedly saying, “It can last 10 years, as far as I’m concerned.”
Public sentiment went against transit workers, and a report from the Chamber of Commerce concluded the strike was having “little impact” as it dragged on. The episode resulted in a contract TWU calls “worse” than the original offer, and the permanent loss of 10% of SEPTA’s riders.
By 1981, Local 234 represented 4,900 workers, who walked off the job in March. The strike, which lasted 19 days, halted buses, trolleys, and subways and led to a lot of customer frustration. “I hate SEPTA with every ounce of energy I have,” one rider told the Associated Press.
Worker demands included a wage hike, but also the end of SEPTA’s policy allowing it to hire part-timers, which it adopted in 1979 to avoid a repeat of the traumatic six-week strike experience. Even Gov. Dick Thornburgh got involved in the negotiations, according to the New York Times. Eventually the union won a 12.5% pay boost, better health insurance, and concessions on the part-timer policy.
At the start of this relatively short strike, vandals set fire to a major electrical junction, the AP reported — causing delays on some Regional Rail trains trying to pick up the slack. The union denied involvement, and a settlement was quickly reached that included better worker harassment protections and a vested pension.
A disagreement over how quickly to implement 3% wage increases led to this 14-day strike. Then-Mayor Ed Rendell took some flack for not getting involved, the Daily Pennsylvanian reported, but when the settlement finally happened, SEPTA said the mayor had helped — as had his then-chief of staff, David L. Cohen (now Comcast senior advisor and Biden’s pick for ambassador to Canada).
Another major service disruption happened in 1998, when Local 234 stopped work for 40 days after 11 weeks of unfruitful negotiations, per the New York Times. SEPTA wanted to be able to hire part-time workers again, and to adopt a zero-tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol.
Mayor Rendell was reportedly involved prominently in the deal-making this time, pressing SEPTA not to raise already high fares or cut service as he worked to revitalize Center City. When the strike ended, the part-timers issue was still not resolved, but both sides agreed to send it to arbitration in order to get city transit running again.
Ed Rendell, who was governor by this time, reportedly helped broker the deal that ended this seven-day Local 234 strike. It started just after midnight on Halloween of that year, with the union demanding better wages, work rules, and health care. The agreement gave workers a pay raise but had them start contributing to their own health plans, the Central Penn Biz Journal reported.
Six days of no bus, trolley, and subway service hit the city when TWU went on strike — with the work stoppage starting on Election Day and during the World Series, which the Phillies went on to lose to the Yankees. At issue was a 4% wage hike, pension, and keeping health care benefits the same.
The most recent strike happened five years ago and also lasted six days. Pension improvements were the largest topic of contention, and workers also demanded better job conditions, like bathroom breaks and mitigation of operator fatigue.
TWU Local 234 President Willie Brown said of 2016 negotiations that the union and SEPTA “could not come to an agreement on simple things.”
The Market-Frankford Line, Broad Street Line, buses and trackless trolleys were not running during the 2016 strike. Norristown High Speed Line, suburban buses, CCT, and LUCY continued to operate. Regional Rail continued to run, but was already overcrowded.
Worried about voter turnout for the Nov. 8 general election, Democratic campaigns including then Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton sought an emergency injunction that would have forced transit workers back to their routes and roles. The injunction did not come to fruition, as the strike ended one day before the election on Nov. 7.
With the unique challenges of the past year and a half, SEPTA workers have been in talks with the agency since summer, according to the Inquirer. Union asks include wage increases, paid parental leave, and a “pandemic payment” — a one-time payout that would serve as hazard-pay for SEPTA workers who have continued to run the lines through the pandemic.
COVID-19 claimed the lives of 11 members of Local 234, and nearly 1,500 SEPTA employees tested positive, according to the authority’s website. Furthermore, transit workers have been the target of frequent assaults. With recent, highly publicized crime on the lines, workers are also asking for more policing in the new contract.
On the other side, the last 18 months have hit the agency in the wallet. SEPTA continues to lose an average of $1 million a day in revenue due to decreased ridership, as much employment remains virtual. Despite over a billion dollars in federal aid and relief programs, transit officials say they don’t have extra funds, considering the uncertainty of the system’s future ridership.
When it comes to costs, it’s worth noting lawyers for contract negotiations add up, too. Back in 2016, SEPTA spent a reported $423,000 on outside labor to handle the strike.
If you bet on history, it’s time to start figuring out transit alternatives.
Philadelphia School District Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. stated in a letter to parents that schools may have to shift to virtual learning if a strike were to occur. Get your child’s Chromebook repaired if needed, and try to address other technical issues in advance.
Ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft get costly fast, especially with higher fares since COVID. If you depend on SEPTA to get to work, ask your employer if remote is an option or carpool with other vaccinated people. If biking is an option, make sure your wheels and chain are ready to go.
The general election is Nov. 2, so if you’re not voting by mail, come up with a way to get to the polls. You could round up neighbors to carpool or make ridesharing less costly. Find your polling place here.
Say the strike lasts weeks — you may want to start considering options outside of SEPTA in preparation for Thanksgiving.
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October 27, 2021 at 11:30PM
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A history of strikes at SEPTA, called the nation's most strike-prone transit agency - Billy Penn
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