This Inky article is a glimmer of hope in the talks between the powers that be at SEPTA and the union workers who plan to strike at midnight on Halloween.
The proposal calls for all members of the Transport Workers Union Local 234 to pay 5 percent of their medical plan premiums. That is down from SEPTA's initial demand of a 20 percent contribution.It's a start and it's better than what I got, which is nothing right now.
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The new contract offer also calls for annual raises during the next three years, totaling 9 percent.
Hopefully, they can reach an agreement so that me and the other ~500,000 or so people who rely on SEPTA everyday can get to work on November 1st.
Welcome to the Philadelphia Transit Opera. As long as I lived in Philly, we had the seasons, strikes and threats of strikes.
The next one we can expect is PGW. They've been pretty quiet for nearly a decade, right? But the municipal unions may come next, especially if Independence Blue Cross/Shield wants more money, as they are the biggest healthcare provider for the city. We'll hear about the uniformed class first, and then AFSCME DC 33 and 47.
But there was no contract activity during the spring/summer, right? Maybe this is an off year; whenever they expire the opera starts about 3 months before they run out.
Having been a civil employee, that cycle was part of my life for quite a few years!
Posted by: Jerome Gaskins | October 27, 2005 at 03:04 AM
I just read the Philly.com article about the proposal. I don't think the strike will happen. Whatever TWU counters with will seem trivial compared to SEPTA's offer.
Posted by: Jerome Gaskins | October 27, 2005 at 03:25 PM
I hope so.
Posted by: albert | October 27, 2005 at 03:30 PM