Also striking the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) were some 5,000 subway and bus employees represented by the Transport Workers Union (TWU).

The strike affects some 460,000 riders in Philadelphia and its suburbs. UTU members operate buses and trolleys serving about 45,000 riders, mostly in suburban towns. The UTU and TWU contracts expired months ago, but both unions agreed to contract extensions in hopes of reaching an agreement and keeping subways, buses and trolleys moving in an area heavily dependent upon public transportation.

Sunday night, leaders of both the UTU and TWU agreed that no further progress was being made, allowing pickets to be set up just after midnight.

After pickets were set up, UTU and TWU negotiators told SEPTA they were still available for good-faith negotiations. SEPTA refused to talk.

"SEPTA's negotiators haven't moved off the dime since presenting us with wholly unreasonable demands eight months ago," said UTU Vice President Tony Iannone, who has been assisting UTU Local 1594 with negotiations.

"SEPTA repeatedly has ignored attempts to bargain with us in good faith," Iannone said. "They said they would not negotiate with the UTU until they had an agreement in place with the TWU. When TWU walked, we walked."

UTU Local 1594 General Chairperson Ron Koran said SEPTA is demanding that UTU-represented workers accept a 15 percent reduction in health-care benefits while making substantially increased contributions for health-care insurance. Yet SEPTA is making no cuts in health care for its managers and intends to continue paying 100 percent of their managers' health-care insurance.

"SEPTA owes all working families in the Philadelphia area an apology for such a plantation mentality," Koran said.

In fact, the chairman of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives' Republican Caucus, Mario Civera, visited with UTU officers late Sunday (Oct. 30) to demonstrate his support. "They better not hang the UTU out to dry," Civera said of SEPTA.

Among those walking the picket line is UTU Local 1594 Vice General Chairperson Thomas Bisignani, who was to retire Nov. 1 with 40 years' service.

Along with Koran, Bisignani is a member of the UTU negotiating team. Also on the teams are Vice Local Chairpersons Tom Toland, Biran Calwell and Waverly Harris, as well as Local Secretary Kevin Baldwin.