SEPTA Trolley, Bus, Subway Operators Give Union Leadership Authorization To Strike

By Jim Melwert

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -   Members of SEPTA's largest labor union – which represents subway, bus, and trolley operators – voted to give its leadership the authorization to call a strike, but they say the buses and train trolleys will keep rolling, at least for now.

Members filing out of Sunday's meeting say they've been told they will be on the job this week, but they say the vote was unanimous:

"I didn't hear anyone say nay," says Transport Workers Union Local 234 member Mark Hilton.

Hilton says no one wants to strike, but he says the strike authorization is their only leverage against SEPTA negotiators:

"If they call a strike, school kids, people can't get to work, it's going to affect everybody, traffic jams everywhere, this is not good for anybody not good to the city."

Both union leadership and SEPTA management say they will continue to negotiate. Both sides say they hope a deal can be reached before subway bus and trolley service is affected.

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