Philadelphia transit strike to end before election day: reports

[November 07, 2016]    (Reuters) - A bus and rail strike in Philadelphia that had threatened to hamper voter turnout at Tuesday's presidential election is set to end after workers reached a deal with the transport authority, local media reported on Monday.

The walkout, declared last Monday over issues such as healthcare and pensions, has idled buses, trolleys and trains that provide some 930,000 rides a day in the fifth most populous city in the United States.

The tentative five-year deal announced at a news conference outside Transport Workers Union headquarters is contingent upon ratification by union members and the board of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA).

SEPTA said services were expected to resume within four to six hours of the strike's end, and close to a full service would be back within about 16 hours, according to the reports.

The agency said last week that a continuation of the strike through Tuesday could affect voter turnout.

Pennsylvania is a key swing state in the campaign between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump. Philadelphia is a stronghold of the Democratic Party.

On Friday a judge refused to halt the strike, denying a back-to-work petition by transit officials who argued the walkout endangered public welfare.

(Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

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