SEPTA Strike Day 1: Picketers Delay Regional Rail

SEPTA's workers union has gone on strike with just days left before the election, in the most populated part of a crucial swing state.

There is grave concern that the strike could impact the results of Election Day and prevent people from reaching their polling places, especially within the city of Philadelphia. The city has long been a Democratic stronghold and reduced voter turnout in the city would strongly favor Donald Trump and the Republican ticket in Pennsylvania.

All bus, trolley, and subway service has been completely shut down in the city.

3:57 p.m.

Picketers and protesters are out in full force in SEPTA rail yards, preventing skeleton crews from reaching their trains, SEPTA said Tuesday afternoon. Due to these incidents, SEPTA is advising that delays of up to 45 minutes should be expected.

2:51 p.m.

According to one engineering professor, the strike will cause consequences beyond the inconvenience of the commute.

“There are stresses that abound for the strike,” Virginia Tech engineering Professor Kevin Heaslip said in an email to Patch. “The striking workers are going with less of a paycheck. People in the city have to deal with increased cost and delay. For example, people that have childcare may have to pay by the minute if they are late to pick up a child. This stress can manifest itself in many different ways. Overall the resilience of the city is less when there are less transportation options available.”

2:15 p.m.

Significant delays have been reported across SEPTA's Regional Rail network. Trains are anywhere from a few minutes to more than an hour behind schedule as the afternoon progresses, according to live updates from SEPTA. The worst offenders: Chestnut Hill East was 58 minutes late at 2:05 p.m., while an earlier departure from Chestnut Hill east was 74 minutes behind schedule.

1:55 p.m.

The Philadelphia Parking Authority, long villainized as the scourge of city drivers, is offering a special flat rate of $10 for 10 hours of parking in select PPA garages around the city until the end of the strike.According to their blog,the following garages will have the special fare in effect:

• Autopark at Market Street East
  • Entrance on 10th Street between Arch and Filbert Street
• Parkade on 8th
  • Entrances on 8th Street between Arch and Filbert and on Arch Street east of 8th Street and west of 8th Street
• Autopark at Jefferson
  • Entrance on 10th Street between Market and Chestnut Streets
• Autopark at Old City
  • Entrances on Front and 2nd Streets between Chestnut and Walnut Street
• Autopark at Independence Mall
  • Entrances on 5th and 6th Streets between Market and Arch Streets
• Family Courthouse Garage
  • Entrance on 15th Streets between Cherry and Arch Streets

1:45 p.m.

Public opinion is widely split between those who support the union and those who are frustrated over the inconvenience. Many have stated their frustration that SEPTA workers are unsatisfied with their benefits, and have complained about the quality of SEPTA customer service provided by employees.

Others think that the strike is symbolic of larger issues: fair pay, income inequality, and environmental sustainability.

1:41 p.m.

The Transportation Workers Union international body released a statement on Tuesday afternoon expressing support and solidarity with the TWU Local 234's strike in Philadelphia.

“The best-case scenario is that negotiations succeed, and we bargain a contract that everyone can live with,” said TWU International President Harry Lombardo. “But that didn’t happen here, and these members have to do what’s right to protect their families and their livelihoods. They have to use the tools available to them to make their voices heard. And TWU International is with them one hundred percent.”

Lombardo pointed specifically to "equitable pension reform and affordable health care" as two key issues that needed to be resolved before a deal could be struck.

10:01 a.m.

Negotiations continued through the night on Monday, even after talks failed leading up to a midnight deadline. The Transportation Workers Union Local 234 wanted better benefits and working conditions. The most important thing, however, was better pensions. Although SEPTA issued statements leading up to 11 p.m. Monday that talks were "making progress" TWU representatives said that SEPTA mischaracterized the situation and that they were not close to a deal. When midnight passed and the talks failed, SEPTA said that the union had chosen to go on strike.

All told, nearly 5,000 SEPTA employees walked off the job.

Local and state leaders have called for both sides to come together and resolve the issues immediately.

“Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania residents rely on SEPTA to travel each day to and from work and school and the inability of TWU and SEPTA to reach an agreement is devastating for many of these individuals and their families," Governor Wolf said Tuesday. "This will create extreme hardships for the city and for businesses. I have spoken at length with both sides and I continue to urge them to come together and continue talking until a compromise is reached.”

According to Philly.com, U.S. Rep. Bob Brady said "It's gonna hurt" when referring to how the strike might impact the election. The report adds that the Clinton Pennsylvania campaign has expressed concern.

Mayor Jim Kenney urged residents to have patience and to avoid rush hour if at all possible. He added that the situation needed to be resolved immediately.

"“I urge both SEPTA and the Transport Workers Union to maintain communication despite the work stoppage," Kenney said. "Tens of thousands of Philadelphians rely on the buses, trolleys and subways, so it is vital for everyone that this situation be resolved as quickly as possible."

A wide range of alternatives are being explored during SEPTA's absence. Uber and Lyft were recently made legal across Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia, and will doubtlessly see more business.

Lyft has launched a new blog page and Twitter account specifically designed to help users get through the strike.

"Lyft has invested heavily to make sure prices stay low and you can still get a Lyft ride within minutes in the event of a strike. We'll be reaching out to the driver community to make there are plenty of Lyft rides on the road," said Kenneth Londono, Lyft spokesperson.

Ride Indego, the city's bike sharing service, was also being promoted, and many took advantage Monday.

Meanwhile, TWU Local 234 has planned picket lines for Tuesday afternoon at SEPTA Headquarters, which are located on 1234 Market Street, beginning at 5:30 p.m

Image courtesy SEPTA.