SEPTA set to resume negotiations with its largest workers' union

After authorizing a strike in a vote over the weekend, members of SEPTA’s largest workers union — Transport Workers Union Local 234, which represents about 5,000 bus, subway and trolley operators, mechanics, and other SEPTA employees — are set to resume contract negotiations with SEPTA officials on Tuesday.

Union members are seeking higher wages and better policies for employee sick pay after their previous, one-year contract expired earlier this month.

Talking to NBC10 following Sunday’s strike vote, Will Vera, president of Union Local 234, said that even though the membership voted unanimously to authorize the union to go on strike, he’s not thinking about hitting the picket lines.

Instead, he’s looking forward to bargaining in good faith.

“I don’t even want to think of a strike right now. I want to just negotiate fairly and we will go from there,” Vera told NBC10.

In a statement ahead of Tuesday’s planned negotiations, SEPTA spokesperson, Andrew Busch said the union and SEPTA are actively engaged in negotiations on a new contract and, so far, those talks have been productive.

“SEPTA and TWU Local 234 are actively engaged in negotiations on a new contract. The talks have been productive, and are scheduled to continue. SEPTA is aware of the strike authorization vote, which is a normal part of this process. We are committed to continuing to engage in good-faith negotiations, with the goal of reaching an agreement on a new contract that is fair to our hard-working employees and to the taxpayers and fare-paying customers that fund the system.”

Last year, this union avoided going on strike by making a one-year deal with SEPTA.

Negotiations for the new two-year contract began in October and, officials with the union said their members have been working without a contract since last year’s expired on Nov. 7, 2025.

This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as new information becomes available.