By Peter Loftus
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
PHILADELPHIA -(Dow Jones)- A rail inspector was killed by a commuter train Thursday as the city struggled with a transit strike that has sent hundreds of thousands of commuters scrambling to get around this week.
The strike, which began Tuesday after labor-contract talks broke down, has idled subways, buses and trolleys in the nation's sixth most populous city. Regional commuter rails continue to operate because their workers are in a different union, but two accidents have slowed or halted service on these trains.
Early Wednesday morning, a fire believed to have been caused by an electrical or heating malfunction engulfed a train car in West Philadelphia. The passengers--more than usual amid the strike--had been evacuated, and no one was seriously injured, said Richard Maloney, spokesman for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, or Septa.
On Thursday morning, a southbound commuter train in North Philadelphia switched to the northbound tracks to get around a train with equipment problems, then struck a 34-year-old inspector walking on the tracks. The inspector, Kevin Sparks, was pronounced dead on the scene, authorities said. Both accidents, which Septa said were unrelated to the strike, disrupted service along the lines for hours.
The train's operator in Thursday's accident didn't appear to have violated any procedures, and rail inspectors are supposed to assume that trains could approach from either direction, Septa's Maloney said. The Federal Railroad Administration is investigating both incidents, said spokesman Mark Paustenbach.
Labor contracts for about 5,100 workers on Septa's subway, bus and trolley systems expired earlier this year. The workers, represented by the Transport Workers Union of America, approved a strike late last month. Pennsylvania and Philadelphia political leaders stepped in and initially headed off a strike that might have been a black eye for the city as the Philadelphia Phillies played three home games in baseball's World Series from Saturday through Monday.
But early Tuesday morning, the TWU called a strike, surprising commuters who had thought one had been averted. A major sticking point is pension funding, with the union claiming Septa has underfunded worker pensions, and Septa saying it has generously offered to increase worker pensions.
Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell talked to Septa management Wednesday and was scheduled to meet with union leaders in an effort to broker a deal.
The city's subways, buses and trolleys have an average weekday ridership of about 930,000, while the regional rail ridership is about 124,000, according to Septa. Continued operation of the regional rails has mitigated the strike's effect on businesses.
Many employers were encouraging workers to carpool, ride a bicycle or work from home. "We're just really trying to be flexible and patient, and everyone is trying to get through this," said Jenni Moyer, spokeswoman for cable-television titan Comcast Corp. (CMCSA, CMCSK), whose new headquarters, with about 2,900 workers, sits atop a downtown train station served by commuter-rail lines.
Tenet Healthcare Corp.'s (THC) Hahnemann University Hospital hasn't experienced excessive absences among its 2,870 workers as a result of the strike, or a significant increase in cancellations of patient procedures, said spokeswoman Coleen Cannon. The hospital has beefed up the parking staff at its garage and lots to handle increased traffic.
Health insurer Cigna Corp. (CI), which has about 1,100 workers in the city, has joined with Zimride, an online service that lets people find co-workers who live near them and share rides, said spokeswoman Gloria Barone. Drug maker GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK, GSK.LN) is letting employees work from home or work flexible hours, said spokeswoman Sarah Alspach.
-By Peter Loftus, Dow Jones Newswires; 215-656-8289; Peter.Loftus@DowJones.com