Two points about the SEPTA timing: TWU Local 234 stayed firm to its pledge to walk out if no agreement was reached by the 12:01 a.m. deadline. And, the deadline was just eight days before one of the most hotly contested presidential races in recent history.
“The union knows it has tremendous leverage,” said DiNome’s partner, Michael Jones, another management lawyer at Reed Smith. “To the extent Pennsylvania is in play in this election, Philadelphia is a significant Democratic voting base. There is a Democratic governor and a Democratic mayor. The union knows that the strike is not going to [last until next] Tuesday, and SEPTA knows that too. That will put pressure on SEPTA to cave by Tuesday.”