SEPTA talks resume as strike threat looms

Contract talks will resume Saturday afternoon between negotiators for SEPTA and its largest labor union, with the continuing threat of a transit strike hanging over the World Series game tonight.

Buses, subways and trolleys continued to operate today, and city officials continued to urge residents and visitors to take public transit to the busy South Philadelphia sports complex, despite the strike threat. Extra express trains were scheduled on the Broad Street subway for the World Series game between the Phillies and the New York Yankees, the Eagles-Giants football game and the Pearl Jam concerts, if there's no strike.

Gov. Rendell, who met with labor negotiators early this morning, said no new strike deadline has been set. The union had threatened to walk at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, but the presence of Rendell, Mayor Nutter and U.S. Rep. Robert Brady kept the talks going until about 3 a.m.

Gov. Rendell urged SEPTA's 5,100 unionized bus drivers, subway and trolley operators and mechanics not to strike during the World Series, saying it would taint the image of Philadelphia during its moment in the national sports spotlight.

A spokesman for Transport Workers Local 234 said talks would resume about 2 p.m. The union's contracts with SEPTA expired last spring.

The sides remained far apart on wage demands. The union said it was seeking an 18 percent pay raise over five years, and said SEPTA was offering 9 percent over five years with no increase in the first year of the new contract.

A strike would shut down bus, subway and trolley service in Philadelphia just as the World Series shifts here from New York City for three games beginning tonight. And it would cripple commuting in the region. In its City Division alone, the transit system averages more than 928,000 trips every weekday.

The Frontier Division buses in Bucks, Chester and Montgomery County would also be stilled by a strike.

Regional Rail service would not be interrupted because those crews are covered by separate contracts.

Victory Division buses in Delaware County, most operating out of the 69th Street Terminal in Upper Darby; Route 101 and 102 trolley lines and the Norristown High Speed Line; "LUCY" buses in West Philadelphia between 30th Street Station and University City destinations; and Paratransit service will also continue during a strike.

Shortly after the union's strike deadline expired at midnight, Mayor Nutter arrived at the hotel to meet with union negotiators, joining Rep. Brady, who had been involved all evening. Rendell showed up about 12:45 a.m. and remained until about 3 a.m.

He said no new strike deadline had been set and said there was room for "a little bit of optimism" as long as the talks continued.

Nutter said earlier Friday that a strike was "pretty unimaginable."

"I'm anticipating service will continue through the weekend," Nutter said at a Friday afternoon press conference. He said he could not imagine a strike "with all that is at stake, with all the inconvenience and disruption" that a walkout would mean.