Best Insurance Quote Online Save on your auto, home, life, health insurance!

Health Insurance Bellevue Washington

SEPTA strike over, but rate hikes loom

Now, buses, trains and cars run again on a six-day transit strike, SEPTA riders can for the Next inconvenience Brace: a tariff hike.

SEPTA is planning to increase fares in 2010, as it always ends they increased in 2007. Regular minor peaks are better, SEPTA officials, cultivate as rare a sharp increase.

The day of reckoning is approaching. Raises would probably expected first round effect last July will be the beginning of the Agency's fiscal year 2011.

SEPTA will not say how much rates may rise. But the agency has for some increase by 9.5 per cent of people in fiscal year 2011 budgeted revenue.

A price increase of this magnitude, the cost of an average Tokens would go from the current $ 1.45 to $ 1.60 on, and a weekly Transpass from the current $ 20.75 to $ 22.75 over.

But nothing is safe.

"If there is a price increase, we do not know how much will it be," SEPTA spokeswoman Jerri Williams said yesterday. She said it would on inflation, depend on passenger numbers, the economy, and septa efforts to "fare simplification."

A 10 percent hike could SEPTA cash boost from the current base fare $ 2 to $ 2.20. That would, after New York City, Chicago and San Diego, which at $ 2.25, and assume Boston ($ 2 subway / bus $ 1.50), San Francisco ($ 1.75) and Washington ($ 1.65 subway / bus-$ 1.35).

SEPTA would have hearings in the region of the five counties and hold receive the approval of his 15-member board before implementing a price increase.

Williams was quick to say, agreed the new contract yesterday for the bus drivers, subway and streetcar operators, and mechanics was not to blame for a rate hike.

There was no pay rise for the first year that the Contract and the $ 1,250-per-worker ratification bonus is paid for by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's budget, not SEPTA.

"It has directly nothing to do with the contract, "Williams said of a possible price increase. It found that a Transportation Funding and Reform Commission recommended in 2006, to hold regular tariff increases with the rising costs.

Yesterday, SEPTA passengers usually were happy to have just a ride.

Buses, subways and cars were back on their regular routes to arrange a midnight contract execution by Rep. Bob Brady (D., Pa.) and Governor Rendell.

The new five-year contract for the 5100 members of the Transport Workers Union Local 234 "is essentially the same" as before by the union leadership of a Weeks rejected, "said Rendell.

Two changes made the difference: an increase in dental insurance - paid for by delaying part of a one-year increase - and have created an agreement on a joint labor-management committee to review the future impact on the costs by SEPTA national health legislation.

could "We tried to make it happen in the time it is an announcement during the Eagles game be, would know the people before they went to bed, "Brady said yesterday." But we could not quite make it in time. "

It was almost 12:45 Clock before Rendell, Brady, assembled Mayor Nutter and officials of the Union and SEPTA in the lobby of the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue to announce the settlement.

(You could There have been earlier, stuck out of their lift, when it reached the lobby at 12.40 clock. It took three hotel employees about five minutes to open the doors to open and help the driver to step one foot out.)

TWU members on the agreement in about a week and a half voice, said Union President Willie Brown.

The provisions of the contract, the $ 1,250 bonus upon ratification, to increase 2.5 percent, increase in the second year and 3 percent in each of the the last three years.

Also, there is no increase in the health of the employees' social security contributions, which is a percentage of basic salary. The worker's contribution to the pension fund will increase from the current 2 percent of base pay by 3.5 percent over the term of the contract, and the maximum pension is 30 000 from $ 27,000 per year Dollars per year be increased.

Brady, who kept negotiations alive back from the trip from Washington early Sunday to meet with union officials, said he thought it was important to try to terminate the contract before the start of another commuting settle week.

"If you come after the first week of a strike, They really have problems, back to the table, "he said." Things are starting to be bitter. "

Brady, a veteran trade union leader, who was involved in many negotiations, SEPTA said longtime gets sick was between the Union and SEPTA to difficult negotiations.

"There are a lot of history are all bad, "said Brady." It is not a trust factor there. "

Rendell had threatened to almost $ 7,000,000 in State funds, he offered had to cancel bonuses paid to employees if an agreement was not reached by yesterday. The money will come from economic development fund PennDot said he.

Rendell and Nutter railed Union leaders already for rejecting what the governor called a "sensational" treaty. And the weight of public opinion seemed to be, with many people complain the workers against the union had asked too much in economically difficult times.

Early in the strike, Brown said he understood that he was "the most hated man in Philadelphia." Brady said that Brown tried to take the name-calling and ridicule in the purchase, However, some epithets that have gone too far.

"He got a call, who he hoped that his [Brown] wife, daughter and grandchild all have cancer and died on Christmas Day, said, "Brady said.

As riders returned to their regular routines Transit yesterday, they said they were glad to have insulted the transit again but that they would have had to endure a strike.

William Cartagena, 47, a social worker, the daily journeys of subway from Far Rock-Center City, said, he was glad that the Broad Street Line was running again, but still in the SEPTA workers disappointed for sudden onset of the strike.

"There was absolutely no consideration for commuters, "said Cartagena, a member of District Council 47 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees." I'm a member of a union, and I thought it would be an embarrassment and shame, as they did. "

About the Author

Quoting & Saving just got easier...EasyToInsureME Health Insurance Quotes... Quote all carriers in seconds

Pennsylvania Health Insurance
Connecticut Health Insurance

VIDEO An Affordable Washington Drug Rehab Treatment Center in Yakima, WA