October 11, 2006

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Although drivers for one of the carriers that provide paratransit and senior citizen services for SEPTA have called a strike, SEPTA said today that it will institute emergency procedures and continue to provide its scheduled SEPTA CCT Connect paratransit trips to dialysis, medical, work, school and ADA workshops.The strike will, however, cause SEPTA to cancel its scheduled CCT Connect trips to senior citizen centers in Philadelphia as well as other discretionary trips for seniors.

The CCT Connect system provides about 6,100 paratransit and senior trips in Philadelphia on weekdays. Edens-RTS is under contract with SEPTA to provide about 1,700 trips.  SEPTA intends to adjust schedules using its remaining carriers in order to prioritize trips for dialysis, medical, work, school and ADA workshops.

Transport Workers Union Local 234 represents about 110 drivers that work directly for Edens-RTS. Management at Edens-RTS negotiated and reached a contract settlement with the union leadership, however, the union members voting on September 29 rejected the terms of the new deal.They have worked since then without a contract as negotiations continued. However, the union decided to go on strike against Edens-RTS today.