PRESS RELEASE: SEPTA Offers “Embarrassing” Contract to SMART-TD Members

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 19, 2025 —UPPER DARBY, PA

In the midst of a string of very public funding and service issues, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has offered the members of SMART-TD Local 1594 (Upper Darby, PA) an insulting contract proposal. Their offer is a disgrace to the men and women who keep the agency moving.

This is the second year running that SEPTA employees have been forced to demand an agreement that reflects the professionalism and knowledge they bring to the table.

“[This offer] is a slap in my members’ faces and an embarrassment, plain and simple,” said SMART-TD Alternate Vice President Bus-East and General Chairperson Anthony Petty.

Among the many egregious proposals being put forth, SEPTA is proposing changes to its policies surrounding FMLA medical leave and earned time off.

This allows SEPTA to avoid coming back to the bargaining table to negotiate the amount of leave SMART-TD members are guaranteed.

SEPTA is also proposing a cap of two emergency days per year, an increase in co-pays for both emergency room and office visits and doubling prescription co-pays while restricting all prescriptions to generic medications.

Health care and leave time aren’t the only issues under attack. 

SEPTA’s proposed agreement also seemingly plays “favorites” with employees that the company likes by stripping away furloughed workers’ earned seniority.

AVP Petty points out that this runs counter to what’s been included in all previous agreements and leaves SMART-TD members with a deep sense of unease.

“Seniority is crucial in our line of work, and it’s something that our union fights for every year” explained VP Petty. “If they chip away at the meaning of our seniority dates, then we’re simply at the company’s mercy. Losing the ability to predict and get the work that’s rightfully ours turns everything on its head and guarantees that the ‘teacher’s pets’ get special treatment.’”

The proposed changes would give SEPTA the authority to call back whoever they want, whenever they want, and to whichever craft they want.

This means that a new low-seniority employee who is well-liked by management could be brought back first and be assigned to whichever department SEPTA chooses, despite the availability of more experienced workers.

Noticeably absent from the proposal are any general wage increases (GWI) despite the cost of living continuing to skyrocket. SEPTA claims that raises aren’t in the budget, partially due to a federal mandate to inspect and outfit the Silverliner IV rail cars that have been catching on fire with thermal protection circuits. This is a serious safety issue that SEPTA chose to ignore until they couldn’t. Their employees are now being asked to pay the price.

“They failed to plan, or address the safety issues pointed out by their employees, and now they want SMART-TD brothers and sisters to take it on the chin to justify their business model,” said AVP Petty. “Our trolley operators are dealing with the exact same issue [deferred maintenance], and it’s only a matter of time before they start having similar issues as the Silverliner.”

SMART-TD calls on SEPTA to stop playing games, negotiate in good faith, and put forth an agreement that our members deserve; not a half-baked attempt at a contract that is insulting and blatantly one-sided.  

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For more information, please contact:

Dan Banks
dbanks@smart-union.org 
(216) 227-5283 (Office) 
(330) 322-5949 (Cell) 

Alyssa Hansen
alyssa.hansen@smart-union.org