(The Philadelphia Daily News posted the following article by Jim Nolan on its website on May 11.)
PHILADELPHIA — SEPTA police officers last night voted by more than a 2-to-1 margin to authorize their union leadership to call a strike if contract disputes with the agency remain unresolved.
Despite the vote, no specific strike deadline was set, said union president Sal Perpetua.
The SEPTA police force is the fourth largest in the state. The union, which represents some 200 officers – has been working without a new contract since October.
The union seeks to avoid proposed cuts in its health plan, reduce the amount of time it takes for officers to receive full employment, (currently 30 months), and pay increases for new officers – among the lowest paid in the region and a contributing factor to the department’s 25 percent turnover.
SEPTA has proposed a 10 percent wage increase spread out over a three-year contract to offset concessions it seeks in health benefits and work rules that govern the scheduling of officers.
Unlike other police agencies, SEPTA police have the right to strike. Union officials said they would be willing to forego that right if the agency agrees to accept binding arbitration in contract talks. As talks have dragged on, relations between the police and SEPTA management have deteriorated significantly. A strike could severely strain the agency’s ability to police the regional system, which carries roughly 500,000 riders a day on bus, subway, trolley and commuter rail trains.