Strike averted: SEPTA reaches tentative deal with largest union

State of play: SEPTA and Transport Workers Union Local 234 (TWU) agreed to a one-year contract Wednesday that increases wages by 5% and makes improvements to worker safety conditions.

• The deal now goes before SEPTA's board for a vote, potentially on Thursday, while TWU members are lined up for a Dec. 6 vote on the agreement.

Context: TWU represents more than 5,000 SEPTA workers, including bus, subway and trolley drivers, as well as maintenance workers and cashiers.

• The union had been in talks with SEPTA since its contract expired earlier this month.

Between the lines: TWU had been coordinating a potential triple strike with a smaller SEPTA union, SMART-TD Local 1594 (SMART), and Philly's largest municipal union, AFSCME District Council 33 (DC33).

• A synchronized strike would have brought city services and transit to a standstill.

Yes, but: DC33 and the city have yet to reach a deal.

• Meanwhile, SMART has reached a tentative deal with SEPTA, Anthony Petty, the local's alternate vice-president, tells Axios.

The big picture: SEPTA still faces financial straits over a massive budget gap.

• The agency is on track to hike fares and cut service in 2025.