SEPTA Police Are On Strike, Here’s What You Need To Know

One of the largest police forces in our area has gone on strike, and it could affect your commute throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania.

SEPTA's Transit Police Go On Strike

SEPTA's transit police force officially voted to walk off the job on Wednesday evening (December 13). The decision to go on strike was kind of a long time coming.

The contract between SEPTA and the Fraternal Order of Transit Police Lodge 109 expired on March 31. Negotiations had been ongoing between the two, but an agreement has not been reached, Philly.com reports. 

Union members voted against accepting the latest contract offered by SEPTA on Wednesday evening.

What Does the SEPTA Police Strike Mean For Commuters?

Service on SEPTA's commuter lines will not be disrupted. This includes the city's subway services (the Broad Street Line and Market-Frankford Line), SEPTA busses as well as their regional rail service.

However, the officers who patrol those services will be affected. It's estimated that about 170 transit patrol and special unit police officers will be on strike.

So who will be patrolling SEPTA's service areas?

SEPTA has enacted its contingency plan, multiple outlets including Philadelphia's 6 ABC reported.

Commuters will likely see a mix of local police and private security as SEPTA works to fill in the gaps on the city's subways, trolleys, and buses.

Get our free mobile app

They say that university police and school district officers will be patrolling the system as well. 

Why Did SEPTA Police Go On Strike?

SEPTA's police union is asking for higher wages. They say there's a pay disparity, which has affected their ability to staff the force. They say that their 170 officers are about 25% understaffed compared to the budget.

Union officials say that is partially because of their lower wages. Other police forces offer better salaries making those jobs more appealing (like Amtrak, Philadelphia Police, and Temple University).

The starting pay for a SEPTA police officer is $64,570.

"SEPTA's (latest) proposal would provide our officers with 13% wage increases over three years. There is also a $3,000 signing bonus contingent on there not being a strike, and retirement-eligible officers would get a $2,500 retention bonus," SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said (via NBC 10).