The union for transit workers in the Philadelphia suburbs is continuing talks with SEPTA, which could potentially face two strikes.
SMART Local 1594, representing 350 operators in Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties, authorized a strike last week. Its contract with SEPTA expired Monday night.
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Should the union hit the picket, services for the Norristown High-Speed Line, the Route 101 and 102 trolleys and bus routes in the suburbs would be disrupted. A strike would not affect Regional Rail lines.
Local 1594 joins the TWU Local 234 union of 4,000 city SEPTA workers, which authorized a strike three weeks ago. Both unions are seeking higher pay and improved safety measures for operators.
SEPTA says that contract negotiations with Local 234 will resume on Wednesday and there is no immediate threat of a strike from either union. While talks with both unions are separate, SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch told CBS Philadelphia that negotiations are "kind of happening in parallel."
Local 234 told 6ABC that there has been progress in talks for safety precautions, which would include a pilot program for eight buses using bulletproof glass enclosures.
But SEPTA says it faces challenges in figuring out how to pay more to its workers. The transit authority, which has a budget deficit of $240 million, warned last week that it is entering a "transit death spiral," leading to proposals for significant price hikes and service cuts.
Later this week, Philadelphia City Council will vote on a resolution calling for Pennsylvania to "flex" funds from highway projects to public transportation
