Philadelphia Transit Workers Strike

Most of Philadelphia’s buses, subways and trolleys were idle Monday morning as part of a transport workers strike.

Leaders of Transport Workers Union Local 234 and United Transportation Union Local 1594 walked out of negotiations with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority late Sunday.

The authority’s 13 regional rail lines remained in service, and were jammed Monday morning, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

The dispute is centered on SEPTA offering annual raises averaging 3 percent for the next three years, but also a demand that all workers pay 5 percent of the costs of their medical plan insurance. Most pay nothing now, the newspaper said.

The last TWU strike in 1998 shut down SEPTA’s City Transit Division for 40 days.