FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 1, 2016
CONTACT: Ori Korin
TWU International Union Stands with Striking Members in Philadelphia
Washington, D.C. – Nearly 5,000 SEPTA workers represented by TWU Local 234 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania have walked off the job and are headed to the picket lines this morning. The union members operate subways, trolleys and buses all around the city, and went on strike late last night after negotiations failed to result in an agreement. While bargaining continued past the deadline and into the night, no deal was reached and the contract has now expired.
The Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO, which represents nearly 140,000 members in the transit, railroad, and gaming sectors across the United States stands in solidarity with its members in Philadelphia and their effort to stand up to SEPTA’s management over issues related to equitable pension reform and affordable health care, as well as non-economic issues including shift scheduling, break time and other measures that affect driver fatigue.
“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.”