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Last week, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) reached a tentative agreement on a five-year pact covering 195 locomotive engineers.

If approved by members, the contract will provide workers a $1,000 signing bonus and 12 percent wage increase during the pact’s term. Beginning in August 2008, workers would be required to pay 1 percent of their weekly pay toward health-care costs.

Last month, President Bush established an emergency board to investigate and help settle a collective bargaining dispute between SEPTA and BLET. The agency and union reached the agreement after one meeting with the board.