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TWU: Binding arbitration would end SEPTA strike

By Paul Nussbaum and Marcia Gelbart

INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS

The transit workers union tonight offered to end its four-day-old strike and return to work immediately if SEPTA accepted binding arbitration on the divisive issues of wages and pensions.

SEPTA did not have an immediate response to the proposal, suggested by council members Bill Green and Curtis Jones.

If SEPTA declines, Transport Workers Union Local 234 president Willie Brown said, "we're in for a long strike."

Green acknowledged the arbitration proposal might be a long shot, but said "we're trying to come up with ways to get this resolved and let people get to and from work."

Earlier in the day, hopes for an early end to the transit strike had dwindled, as efforts by Gov. Rendell and U.S. Rep. Bob Brady to broker a settlement failed.

So the region's first work week without buses, subways or trolleys ended as it had begun, with commuters and students clambering onto overcrowded Regional Rail trains, driving into traffic jams, and walking or riding bicycles.

At 5:30 p.m., Suburban Station was a place of lengthening lines and fraying nerves. Still, conditions had improved over the chaos that occurred in the first hours of the strike.

"Tighten up, tighten up!" SEPTA workers called to waiting commuters, hoping to shorten the lines that snaked through the concourse. Commuters were not allowed on the platform until their trains had arrived, instead organized in lanes designated by plastic yellow chains.

"Am I going the right way for the R7?" a woman called out.

She was.

"I waited two hours yesterday," said Joe Doughtery, 45, in line to board an R3 train this evening. "I get on the train and it's half empty."

By 6 p.m. Center City traffic had slowed to an excruciating crawl. Drivers were left stuck and steaming as skateboarders and bicyclists were the only things moved.

A trip from Broad and Callowhill Streets to 30th Street Station that usually would take 10 minutes took an hour. There was no such thing as an alternative route.

At least the Center City train stations were heated. Commuters waiting for trains at the Fern Rock Transportation Center in North Philadelphia had to brave the frigid evening.

The strike has added two-and-a-half hours to Marvetta Wright's daily back-and-forth between Olney and her home in Southwest Philadelphia.

"When they go out, we gotta pay for it, and it's not fair," said Wright, 35, a home health care provider.

"I hate it. I'm disgusted with it," she said. "And it's becoming cold."

When asked if she blamed the union or management for the strike, she paused.

"I just want to go home and be with my children," she pleaded

Michelle Walter, 36, a physician's assistant at Albert Einstein Medical Center was waiting for a train to take her home to Center City.

"In the morning it's not so bad. But at night it's a little sketchy," she said of the neighborhood between the hospital and the train station. So on top of paying double for her fare - she usually rides the subway - she sometimes has to pay for a cab to make it safely to Fern Rock.

Before the strike, she was happy with SEPTA, but now, "I'm annoyed, I think they're being a little greedy," she said of the union.

As riders arrived at Fern Rock some had family or friends waiting in cars while others had to trudge off into the night.

Several women commuters passed strikers who had two barbecue grills fired up and a TV tuned to the news.

One woman asked the strikers why they had the TV.

"Got a TV to know what's going on," replied a man who would only say he was a SEPTA cashier. "Need to know if we're going to work or not."

After some polite conversation, a car arrived for the women. One joked about coming back later to hang out with the strikers.

"Have a nice weekend ladies," the cashier said. "Sorry for the inconvenience."

Contact staff writer Paul Nussbaum at 215-854-4587 or pnussbaum@phillynews.com

Staff writers Jeff Gammage. Robert Moran and Kia Gregory contributed to this report.

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Comments

Posted 06:20 PM, 11/06/2009

CleanupPhilly

What good is binding arbitration if it just results in a contract that Septa can't afford that rewards bad behavior, and penalizes the taxpayer and rider? Septa has the right to fire and hire at will, the best contract offer has been tendered, and binding arbitration too heavily favors union contracts that can't be sustained. This is a path to insolvency for Septa and the pension.

Posted 06:20 PM, 11/06/2009

westphiladelphian215

It's time for the citizens of Philadelphia to stand up to the greedy unions that are driving SEPTA and the rest of the local economy into the ground! Tell SEPTA not to back down! Tell SEPTA that the age of entitlement is over in Philadelphia! Tell SEPTA we don't want them to let unions drive more jobs out of town! PROTEST THE TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION local 234 THIS SUNDAY at 1234 Market Street at 1:00pm! Walk, bike, or drive down and take a stand to tell the union WE WILL NOT BE BULLIED ANYMORE! They can (and will!) be replaced!

Posted 06:22 PM, 11/06/2009

westphiladelphian215

Follow the plans to PROTEST UNION GREED this Sunday at 1pm at 1234 Market Street on Twitter: @strikeprotest

Posted 06:33 PM, 11/06/2009

jackierose413

It's so lovely how the different sides frame it. The only side that loses regardless is the person actually paying for SEPTA tickets. When they come back with their big, fat raises, those buses better be spotless, on time, with polite and extremely friendly drivers. And most of all, those rates better not go up.

Posted 06:33 PM, 11/06/2009

jackierose413

Posted 06:46 PM, 11/06/2009

EVA9601

Septa is rolling in dough, being a little more generous with their employees WILL NOT kill them. Remember, it is Septa Management and Administration you should thank for not having a ride-they have got to be fair to their employees.

Posted 06:48 PM, 11/06/2009

phillypapers

The transit workers are and have been trying to resolve this in a fair manner while still standing up for their rights. Its a shame so many other people are too cowardly to do this in their own places of work.

Posted 06:54 PM, 11/06/2009

crow-towes

They all can go to he!!

Posted 06:54 PM, 11/06/2009

crow-towes

They all can go to he!!

Posted 06:55 PM, 11/06/2009

Blanketman

If SEPTA had begun negotiating months ago, we wouldn't be in this mess. If SEPTA is going to play games, then binding arbitration is needed. Philadelphia needs public transportation, just like it needs the police or the fire department. If everyone drives, the city will be gridlocked!

Posted 07:02 PM, 11/06/2009

iamsue

EVA9601 - The dough they're rolling in are our tax dollars. The politicians should understand that we won't forget them giving in to this greedy union.

Posted 07:09 PM, 11/06/2009

southphillyitaliana

Eva9601 - Please. Any extra money Septa has should be used for customer-service training for these thug drivers and cleaning up the smell of pi$$ everywhere. You should re-read Ronnie's article.

Posted 07:15 PM, 11/06/2009

daveg3

Why can't the state create a competitor to SEPTA? It seems to me that competition is good and gives people choices. The regional rail is horrible. Trains only come once a hour every day. In North Jersey and New York, there are trains that come more than once an hour and people get to work. This is really horrible. Also, reduce the pensions benefit and add a 401k plan. The strike is just horrible!!

Posted 07:23 PM, 11/06/2009

union guy

Brilliant move by Willie Brown and Local 234. He got together with Green and Jones and got more done to structure a possible settlement than Rendell and Brady were able to do all week. Bravo! Now the ball is in SEPTA's court. If they reject this offer then we will all know that they are the reason for the strike and the union was right all along.