SMART members ratify SEPTA agreement

Members of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation International Association's (SMART) Transportation Division Local 61 at the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) have ratified a new contract that covers conductors' and assistant conductors' pay and working conditions.

With nearly 79 percent of eligible members casting ballots, 87 percent approved the agreement, SEPTA officials said in a press release.

The five-year pact includes a signing bonus, general wage increases, conductor certification pay, an enhanced bereavement allowance and increased uniform allowance, and "enriched continuation" of health and welfare benefits, they said.