We have pointed out before how Pennsylvania is in the small minority of states that permit transit strikes. There is a proposal to add a prohibition against transit strikes in the General Assembly, however, it would only affect the largest transit agency in the state, SEPTA.
The proposal would add language to an existing statute (Act 195 of 1970) that prohibits strikes by prison guards, mental hospital guards, and personnel necessary to the functioning of the courts (Act 111 of 1968 gives binding arbitration to police and fire personnel and thus prohibits strikes by those employees).
The language would not allow strikes by “employees of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority” and it is plain to see that the proposal would have a significant uphill battle, even with contracts expiring next month and talk of a strike should negotiations fail. The most recent SEPTA strike was in 2009 (following ones in 2005 and 1995) and a year before there was nearly a shutdown of the Port Authority during their contract negotiations (the last one was in 1992).