SEPTA Files Lawsuit to End Union Strike

PHILADELPHIA, PA — SEPTA announced Friday that it has filed an injunction against its workers' union to end the strike and bring them back to work.

The lawsuit seeks to end the strike by the Transport Workers Union Local 234, which has been on strike since 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday after a deal for a new contract could not be reached before the established deadline.

The injunction was officially filed at 3 p.m., stating that the strike poses a "clear and present danger to the health, safety, and welfare of our riders and the citizens of Philadelphia and the region."

According to a statement issued by SEPTA Friday afternoon, the lawsuit includes a list of harms caused by the sudden stoppage of service, including disabling access to medical care and "presenting a risk to citizens' right to vote in the Nov. 8 election."

In a statement issued in response to the injunction, TWU Local 234 President Willie Brown said that only bargaining would settle the dispute. He also seemed to indicate that negotiations were making progress — a position which he has not readily vouched for in the past.

"We will fight SEPTA's request for an injunction tooth and nail," Brown said. "We would prefer, however, to concentrate our attention on productive bargaining to reach a fair settlement. At this point, only a handful of issues separate the parties."

Brown said that the lawsuit was part of SEPTA's plan to "avoid real bargaining while relying on legal tricks."

Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia region in particular are thought to be crucial in the upcoming election. Pennsylvania is considered a swing state, and the high- population areas surrounding Philadelphia could determine which way the state votes. As SEPTA is most affecting voters in the city, which historically has been a liberal stronghold, Democrats stand the most to lose.

"Everyone is working hard to come to a resolution," Mayor Jim Kenney said on Friday. "But (it is) important to make a plan now to ensure you can get to polls in both cases."

On Thursday, Brown said that SEPTA had not bargained in good faith up to this point, and that using Election Day to manipulate the negotiations was counterproductive.

"Also not helpful is asking us to suspend the strike for Election Day," Brown said in a statement. "Rather than talking about next week, SEPTA and its Board Chairman should stop their games and work with us to get a settlement now."

At the heart of the disagreement between the union and SEPTA is worker pay and benefits, especially pensions. SEPTA maintains it offered a fair deal and that the union "chose" to go on strike. Brown says that the deal SEPTA offered would have amounted to a pay cut for SEPTA workers in 2017.

It's not yet clear when a judge will rule on the injunction.

The strike has crippled the Philadelphia area's transit system, as shuttles, buses and subways are completely offline. The Regional Rail is the only system that remains online within the city itself, but it has been hampered by lengthy delays and frequent cancellations. Riders on the rail Thursday reported that the trains were understaffed, doors were locked and tickets were not collected.

This is a breaking story. Check back for more updates as they become available.

Patch file photo