SEPTA workers prepare for possible strike. How riders could be impacted

SEPTA workers, seeking a new contract, are preparing to strike come midnight on Thursday, Nov. 7, unless a deal can be made with managers before then.

Last month, officials with the union had sounded an alarm that a strike could be looming as members unanimously voted to authorize the strike.

And, on Wednesday evening, members of the Transportation Workers Union Local 234 are expected to prepare for the event by making picket signs.

The signs, union officials said in a statement ahead of the proposed strike, will read "Stalling on Better Safety & Security = SEPTA Strike."

The same message has been placed on a billboard along I-95, as well, officials said.

Yet, in a recent interview with NBC10's Brian Sheehan, TWU Local 234 president Brian Pollitt said the union, which represents about 5,300 SEPTA workers, was trying to avoid going on strike.

"I'm going to do my part," he said, noting negations with SEPTA officials were ongoing. "If they do their part, we may be able to avoid a strike.”

In a statement, the union said that it is seeking "fairness on economic issues and desperately needed improvements on safety and security for both passengers and transit workers."

So far, the union claims after months of negotiations, SEPTA has only offered a one-year contract with no wage increase.

In announcing the possible strike, the union pointed to last year's shooting death of SEPTA bus driver Bernard Gribben as a focal point.

Gribbin was killed on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, after being shot six times by a woman shortly after she stepped off Route 23 in the city's Germantown neighborhood.

Union officials said last month that since Gribben's death, "SEPTA management has stonewalled the union’s proposals for supplying bulletproof vests and shields, more cameras and additional law enforcement in the subway, along with a functioning radio system so SEPTA workers can alert the authorities to dangerous incidents."

“We are testing ballistic shields for bus operators. We’d be the first in the nation to put those into place," SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said as part of the safety issues the transit company is working on.

In a statement released in reaction to the union's decision to authorize a strike, Busch said that the mass transit provider is working on an agreement.

But, Busch noted that SEPTA's ongoing funding crisis has been a "major factor" in the ongoing negotiations.

"SEPTA is in ongoing talks with TWU Local 234 regarding a new contract. We are committed to engaging in good-faith negotiations, with the goal of reaching an agreement that is fair to our hard-working employees and to the customers and taxpayers who fund SEPTA," read a statement from Busch.

"A major factor in these negotiations is SEPTA’s ongoing funding crisis. With the exhaustion of federal COVID relief funds earlier this year and ridership still recovering from the pandemic, SEPTA is facing an operating budget deficit of nearly a quarter billion dollars annually. We continue to work with the Gov. Shapiro and legislative leaders on sustainable, long-term funding, but at this point, there is no solution in sight. This stark reality impacts these negotiations, as well as SEPTA’s ability to provide critical transportation services throughout the Philadelphia region," he said.

Late last year, SEPTA workers avoided a strike after working on a tentative one-year agreement.

What SEPTA services will be impacted by a strike

Members of TWU Local 234, a union representing SEPTA workers, is set to go on strike at midnight on Thursday, November 7, affecting riders commuting on Friday, November 8.

The members of the union include mechanics, drivers, maintenance workers and others who are all set to walk off the job if a deal isn't reached.

SEPTA's Broad Street line, Market-Frankford line, trolleys and at least 104 bus routes will be shut down due to the potential strike.

Officials said, in general, if a strike were to occur, SEPTA's bus and metro routes within the city will not operate.

How the SEPTA strike will impact riders, students

If a strike does happen, SEPTA has provided information on how riders can navigate the work stoppage.

Commuters can click here to learn if their service could be affected by a possible work stoppage.

Officials also said that riders who use bus and metro lines regularly should use Regional Rail, which connects with bus and trolley routes that are still operating.

Existing passes will be honored on Regional Rail during a service interruption and, officials said that riders can click here to learn more about Regional Rail fares and pass refunds.

SEPTA officials also said riders should plan to allow extra time while traveling and expect crowding on Regional Rail routes.

The School District of Philadelphia is also preparing for the potential strike, saying approximately 55,000 of its students would be impacted.

"In the midst of an ongoing national driver shortage, providing transportation support to all students who would need it during a strike would not be an option," the district said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon.

The district said students who are late or absent as a result of the potential strike will not be marked late or will be excused with a parent note. The same will go for staff of the district.

Sohini Chowdhury has a 15-year-old daughter who rides SEPTA to school every day. With mechanics, drivers, maintenance workers and others set to potentially walk off the job, Chowdhury is thinking about next steps.

“Bringing her back becomes more of a challenge because she goes to Central High, which is pretty far away, so I’ll have to take off in the middle of the workday to go and grab her," Chowdhury said.

If student and staff attendance is dramatically affected, the school district will consider moving to virtual instruction.

The school district has further instructions for parents, students and staff here.

For more information on how to navigate the city's mass transit system should a strike occur, click here.