Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
SEPTA Transit Police went back on the job over the weekend after a short strike.
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The strike started last Wednesday evening and ended Saturday afternoon, with cops heading back to work by nighttime.
SEPTA and Fraternal Order of Transit Police Lodge 109 came to a contract agreement after the officers had been working without a contract since March.
SEPTA officers were bargaining for better pay to match the work they do. The department is paid less than many other police agencies in the region, including Philadelphia.
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The tentative agreement will now go to both Fraternal Order of Transit Police Lodge 109 membership and the SEPTA Board of Directors for approval.
“This tentative agreement is fair to our hard-working police officers and financially responsible for SEPTA,” said SEPTA Board Chairman Pasquale “Pat” Deon Sr. “We greatly appreciate the efforts of our police supervisors to cover patrols and keep the system safe these last few days, as well as the assistance we received from our law enforcement partners.”
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SEPTA CEO and General Manager Leslie Richards said in a statement that negotiators for the union and the regional transit agency worked around the clock to get the deal done.
Richards commended Gov. Josh Shapiro for his role in ending the strike.
“The governor’s engagement enabled us to come to a deal that protects public safety on SEPTA and takes care of hard-working union members who put their lives on the line every day,” she said.
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Due to the strike, local, county, and university law enforcement agencies in the region stepped up patrols and responded to calls on SEPTA property.
Transit police supervisors remained on the job and SEPTA brought in additional security guards.
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SEPTA operates Regional Rail, bus, and paratransit services in the Levittown area.
Prior to last week, SEPTA cops last went on strike in 2019.
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