SEPTA, Unions Meet for Six Hours to Avert Strike

NBC 10 reports that SEPTA and its unions met for six hours on Monday at the Sheraton Hotel in Center City to try to complete a contract before the transit agency’s workers go on strike.

SEPTA wants a five year contract with bonuses for the first two years and 1%, 2%, and 3% raises for the last three years. Brown also says SEPTA wants increased health care costs and changes to employee pension contributions.

If the two sides do not reach a deal by the end of the week, the total number of SEPTA employees working without a contract would top 5,000.

Three have been twelve separate transit strikes in Philadelphia since 1975. The most recent, lasting a week began in the early hours of Election Day of 2009.

Union leaders say any strike won’t occur until three smaller SEPTA contracts expire later this week.