SEPTA Strike Deadline Set For Saturday

PHILADELPHIA - With 4,700 SEPTA workers poised to go out on strike Friday or Saturday and the curtain about to go up on World Series games three, four and five of the series here in Philadelphia, commuters and city officials are bracing themselves.

A strike deadline has been set for 12:01 a.m. Saturday,

"As always, we prepare for the worst and hope for the best," says Deputy Commissioner Stephen Johnson of Philadelphia Police. "We have contingencies in place in the event SEPTA does walk out

Both sides continue to negotiate at the Holiday Inn in Old City. They spent all day at the table Wednesday and Thursday but there's still no word on an agreement.

While they bargain, city officials are brainstorming on how to handle a strike of it comes this World Series weekend.

Negotiators for SEPTA and Transport Workers Local 234 spent another day behind closed doors at the hotel trying to come up with a new contract. The old one expired back in March.

The TWU says no contract means no city rail, bus or trolley service by week's end.

“We’re heavily involved in negotiations with the TWU and we're planning on getting a deal this week, before the Phillies come back, yeah,” says SEPTA General Manager Joe Casey.

A strike could impact the World Series as it rolls into Philadelphia this weekend. No SEPTA means no ride to the games for thousands of fans. That could create a serious need for more parking at the stadium.

“We’re encouraging people to car pool; we're looking possibly at the naval base as a parking location. We advocate people leave earlier than usual,” says Deputy Commissioner Johnson.

If there is a strike, Sunday could present some bigger problems. The Eagles and the Giants play in the afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field, then the Phillies and Yankees take the field at night at Citizens Bank Park.

Getting Eagles fans and tailgaters out and Phillies fans in could take some work.

“It’s just a matter of being patient and doing the best we can,” believes Johnson.

Transport workers want 4-percent raises each year and health plan contributions to remain at 1 percent.

SEPTA has proposed no wage increase for two years, then 2 percent in the final two years and an increase in health care contributions.

Negotiations continue. The last SEPTA strike went seven days in late October 2005.