SEPTA has been on strike since midnight due to failed negotiations between its workers’ union and the agency (negotiations will resume this afternoon). Due to the strike, all SEPTA service in the city was shut down, which means that SEPTA City bus, trolley, Market Frankford Line, and Broad Street Line services are suspended. Regional Rail service has not been affected by the strike. Visit SEPTA’s Service Interruption Guide for more information.
Here’s some other important information regarding the strike:
• City government will remain open for business.
• Public schools are open.
• Parking is prohibited on both sides of Broad Street, from Spring Garden to South Street.
• Bus Zones may be used by any vehicle to drop-off and pick-up passengers. Vehicles may not be left unattended.
The City will provide a free shuttle for City employees along the Broad St line and Market Frankford line. All riders must show proof of city employment.
• Non-city employees are encouraged to work with their employers for alternate transportation plans and strategies.
• Jurors are also allowed to take the employee shuttle with proper documentation and photo ID, and will receive direction when they call to confirm their reporting times.
November 1st, 2016 at 10:54 am
Kudos. I’m kinda vibin’ on SEPTA right now. To me, a strike is a representation of the workers. Striking is the voice of labor. The women and men of SEPTA drive buses, subways, elevated trains, trolleys and trackless trolleys day in and day out. They deal with bad drivers and patrons upset if they perceive the bus as being ‘late’. I walked to work today and it was a great chance for this tech support/desk jockey to get a little exercise. And I walked with a bunch of people who were also getting some morning exercise.
November 2nd, 2016 at 12:16 pm
OTOH, I think you would find it hard to deny that the poorest of Philadelphia’s citizens will suffer the most from this strike. Without public transportation, workers who are paid an hourly wage may be forced to miss work (say, to bring their children to school) or walk miles and miles through rough parts of the city.
As romantic a notion as a “people’s uprising” may seem in theory, the collateral damage is severe, particularly with those who have the most to lose–namely the poor, the sick, and the young.
November 2nd, 2016 at 2:14 pm
Both fortunately and unfortunately, readers on this website are among the least affected by the strike. That’s being said, we have been scrambling to find workarounds for our kids who take trolley and bus to school everyday. Not trying to complain here, but I do agree the poors, the sicks and the youngs are the ones who suffer the most.
November 2nd, 2016 at 3:48 pm
This is a city of working poor. Put down the signs, this isn’t the righteous fight.
November 2nd, 2016 at 7:50 pm
Do a Reagan. Give them an ultimatum. If they don’t return to work – there are 5000 unemployed people who would be glad to work for an average of 68k a year. They want more for heir pensions when most people don’t get them anymore.
November 3rd, 2016 at 12:51 pm
Is that really how Reagan handled SEPTA strikes? That’s shrewd but also a no nonsense approach. There’s a reason he’s remembered as one of the most impactful and respected presidents. Honestly, I feel that Mayor Nutter was treated unfairly when he intervened in the 2009 strike. Additionally, you noted 5000 unenmployed workers who would be glad to work for an average of 68k a year. Do you believe that employed workers who make less than 68k a year should be incentivized to make a career switch and work for those salaried positions?
November 3rd, 2016 at 8:32 pm
Some real a-holes here. Labor should always be supported when they strike, it’s just not worth discussing beyond that. And if self-interest is people’s only concern, keep in mind that better wages & conditions for union members has an indirect beneficial effect for other workers. Or maybe that’s what some of these posters are worried about.
November 3rd, 2016 at 8:35 pm
@Foxxy I was referring to how President Reagan handled the air traffic controllers strike. Septa workers should not be allowed to hold the public hostage. I don’t care who gets the jobs, unemployed or employed. Septa workers should be glad they get any pension. 30 years work and $30,000 a year pension is pretty good considering what they contribute. For them to hold out for more is outrageous. They should stop bellyaching and get back to work.
November 3rd, 2016 at 9:39 pm
@Watchcat So nothing to discuss? Easier to demean others with vulgarity than to think. I’m all for better wages and conditions but not at any price. 68k for what they do. Doesn’t get much better than that.
November 4th, 2016 at 10:47 am
People who throw “a-holes” into the conversation are usually projecting.
November 4th, 2016 at 1:51 pm
People who demean labor should take their petty-bourgeois attitudes elsewhere. As for others, keep in mind that the SEPTA strikers keep the bar raised for all workers, unionized or not, in terms of fair compensation for labor. If they can defeat the unions they’ll crush you. Sad to see people fighting with one another over crumbs.
November 4th, 2016 at 2:56 pm
I get it. You think I am an elitist because I come from privilege. Yes its true, I don’t come from a ‘labor’ family. My ancestral background is in early finance. Yes, I do not ride a lot of buses or otherwise, but I do not look down on labor workers. I just think that the unions create a buzz but really it’s the union workers that make the 68k plus salaries. They earn learn living off of strikes.
November 4th, 2016 at 10:23 pm
And, again, raise the quality of life for other people in the process (“Better not exploit them too much, they might unionize…”)