Local residents could not hop a bus downtown or head to work on the subway without the efforts of almost 5,000 Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority workers.
SEPTA employees drive buses, operate trolleys and repair the huge fleet of transit equipment. In return, the workers are asking for a contract that includes what they call a reasonable wage rate and good health care benefits.
SEPTA and the Transport Workers Union Local 234 began negotiations last week to work out a deal before the contract between the two groups expires on March 15. In the past, SEPTA has sometimes extended the contract of its workers to accommodate further contract negotiations before the deadline.
SEPTA spokesman Jim Whitaker said the ongoing negotiations should be finished by March 15 and would not comment on the prospect of extending the contract beyond the deadline.
"We will continue to negotiate and hopefully have a contract by then," Whitaker said.
Local 234 President Jean Alexander said the two groups met on Friday and optimistically opened discussion of demands. "We went in ... and went over our demands and their demands," she said, adding that health benefits will be a crucial issue for the union this year.
Alexander admitted the negotiations already began late but said there was not yet any discussion of a contract extension. She believed that the negotiations will be finished by deadline as long as SEPTA and Local 234 continue their hard work creating a contract that meets the demands of both sides.
Alexander noted that the groups have successfully worked together in negotiations before, and she expects this year to be the same. "We have a stake in SEPTA, too," she said of the many transit employees who keep buses and trolleys running efficiently.
Last month, SEPTA projected a $70 billion deficit for the 2005 fiscal year.
The financial trouble did not concern Alexander, however, as she noted that the city faces budget concerns each year, and the contract between Local 234 and SEPTA is unaffected by the deficit.
