Philadelphia, Nov 3 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has finally gone on strike, after the negotiations with the transit agency for a fresh agreement failed to materialize. SEPTA’s strike will close all subway, bus and trolley services. The SEPTA Transport Workers Union Local 243 Strike started at 3 am EST. It is affecting the counties of Bucks, Montgomery and Chester.

According to the news reports, “All bus, subway and trolley services in the city will be interrupted by the strike. Regional rail service, most buses operating out of the 69th Street Terminal and “LUCY” buses, which run through University City, have crews covered by separate contracts and thus will continue operations”.

Governor Rendell has called the SEPTA strike “irresponsible” and Mayor Nutter calls it “outrageous”. Mayor, Michael Nutter, and the Governor Ed Rendell’s efforts to give an affirmative twist to the negotiations didn’t work out even after 13 hours of discussions.

Union workers want a 4 percent income raise and no further addition to their respective health care treatment.


Officials, however, claimed that few Delaware County buses, 101 and 102 Media & Sharon Hill trolleys, the Norristown high-speed line and regional rail lines would go ahead with operations according to routine.