Philadelphia Bus Operator Reinstated by Arbitration Victory

Standing together gets results

Rasool Aleem, a bus operator out of SMART-TD Local 1594 (Upper Darby, Pa.) is officially back on the job after a decisive win against SEPTA. His seniority is fully restored with full back pay for the time he was wrongly kept out of service.

This is what preparation, solidarity, and strong union leadership can deliver. 

SEPTA Overreached and Union Leaders Called It Out 

SEPTA fired Brother Aleem in a snap decision after a March 2025 pedestrian accident, even though he had 14 years of service and no discipline on his record. SEPTA backed their bad call by claiming they had “just cause.” SMART-TD called their bluff. They then came to arbitration armed with lawyers and a stack of past cases they said proved the termination was justified.

The problem? Those cases didn’t apply to Aleem’s situation. SEPTA had assembled an expensive and intimidating smokescreen, but it wasn’t supported by facts.

Petty and Sandoval Brought the Facts 

Representing Local 1594 was General Chairperson Anthony Petty, joined by SMART-TD Bus Department Vice President James Sandoval. Together, they did what strong union leadership does best: they came prepared, and they told the full story.

Petty and Sandoval showed the arbitrator exactly who Rasool Aleem is. He’s a professional bus operator with over a decade of service, a clean disciplinary record, and no history of incidents. They exposed SEPTA’s failure to use progressive discipline, pointed out inconsistent treatment with other operators, and highlighted known safety issues like blind spots created by bus mirror placement. SEPTA was aware of those blind spots thanks to our operators filling out Safety Condition Reports.

While SEPTA’s lawyers relied on weak comparisons, Petty and Sandoval relied on the contract, the facts in the case, and common sense. 

Arbitrator Allied with Common Sense 

The arbitrator made it clear in her ruling that SEPTA leaned on precedent that simply didn’t apply here. They cited cases involving fatalities, baby carriages getting knocked over, and conduct from non-SMART-TD operators. The picture they painted was bleak, but it had nothing to do with Rasool Aleem in 2025!

The Ruling: Job Back. Seniority Back. Money Back. 

Despite their intimidating stance, SEPTA did not have just cause to fire Rasool Aleem. Instead, the discharge was reduced to a 45-day suspension, and SEPTA was ordered to: 

• Reinstate him immediately 
• Restore his seniority with no interruption 
• Pay him back pay for the time he was held out of service (minus the suspension and any interim earnings) 

What This Win Means for All of Us 

To Brother Aleem: We are all glad to have you back! Thank you for what you do.  

To all our fellow SMART-TD brothers and sisters: stand strong, connect with your union, and refuse to roll over if you are faced with unjust discipline. Leaders like Anthony Petty and James Sandoval are here to put in the work, know your contract, and prove time and again that strong union representation gets results.

SMART-TD will back your defense every step of the way, no matter what local you belong to. Large or small, if your managers overreach, SMART-TD will meet them head-on. And, with the truth on our side, we will win.