Members of The Fraternal Order of Transit Police, Lodge 109, the union that represents SEPTA’s police officers, have authorized a strike after six months of negotiations, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Union officials called in a mediator last month which reportedly had little to no effect on progress toward a new contract. A union leader described the situation as an “impasse.”

According to The Inquirer, this is the second SEPTA union to approve a strike authorization this month. Transport Workers Union Local 234, SEPTA’s largest which represents 5,000 members, including operators of buses, trolleys and the Broad Street and Market-Frankford Lines, along with mechanics and other workers, voted to authorize a strike October 1.

TWU Local 234 members are calling for increased wages and improved safety programs for operators and riders, CBS News reported. In a newsletter posted to its website before the strike authorization vote, the union claimed that SEPTA “turned its back on public employee safety.”

The Inquirer noted that a strike-authorization vote doesn’t automatically mean that transit police or transit operators will stop working.

“SEPTA is committed to continuing a dialogue with the mediator and FOTP leadership to reach an agreement on a new contract,” agency spokesperson Andrew Busch said.

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