Posted: | June 21, 2017 01:07 PM |
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From: | Senator Sharif Street |
To: | All Senate members |
Subject: | Binding Arbitration for SEPTA Contracts |
In the near future, I will be introducing legislation authorizing arbitration in the event of an impasse during collective bargaining negotiations between the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) and its employees. SEPTA’s service is vital to the Southeastern Pennsylvania area as many citizens rely on SEPTA in their daily commute to work and overall travel. When an interruption in service occurs due to a strike, those individuals are often stranded with no means to move about their communities. Arbitration allows for an unbiased third party to help resolve disputes between two parties, and is an effective tool in ensuring that collective bargaining negotiations do not result in interruptions of service. This legislation will facilitate that goal by providing a timeline for those negotiations. Specifically, negotiations are to begin six months before the expiration of the most recent contract. If there is an impasse on certain issues after 60 days of negotiating, either party can request the appointment of a three-member arbitration board that will help resolve those issues. Please join me in sponsoring this important legislation that will benefit many citizens of the Commonwealth. If you have any questions, contact my Policy Director, Micah Mahjoubian, at micah@pasenate.com. |
Introduced as SB829