Commuters facing troubles as SEPTA regional rails Union go on strike.

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has announced new working rules. Consequently, the union representing the mass transit system of the Southeastern Pennsylvania went on strike in the early hours of Tuesday.  The union is the largest of the Philadelphia Transit systems and more than 5,000 drivers, mechanics, and technical operators represent this union. The strike was called by Transport Workers Union Local 234 and it will make the entire transit system at still. The transit system which makes 928,000 trips in a day includes all the subway, city buses, and trolley operations.

The strike is posing serious problems for the commuters who use these transport systems to go to their offices and other places every day. Talking to the news reporters, the commuters told that they are facing problems to get to their homes and offices. A doctor told that the strike has caused irritating problems for her and many like her. She told that she left the hospital after finishing her 12-hr duty with patients and upon reaching the train stop she learned that the door was closed. She checked the other stations and they were closed too. It was when she got to know about the strike. She recalls how the strike added pain to her journey towards home as she had to take a regional rail which covers only half the way to her home.

The union members are demanding increase in their wages and new, worker friendly pension rules from SEPTA. A technician told the press that they didn’t want to go on strike but SEPTA left no choice for them. He said that we demand our rights. He also told that the transport workers are not happy with the new working rules designed by SEPTA.

Nothing could be learned about the anticipated duration of the strike. A similar strike was called in 2005 by the union which last for almost a week while another strike by the union lasted for more than 40 days.

Following service by SEPTA will remain open during the strike:

Regional Rail, Suburban Transit (includes buses, trolleys, and transit lines on route 100), Loop through University City, and frontier bus routes run by SEPTA will remain active during the strike.

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