Still no rays of hope of averting a transit strike

City leadership is battening down the hatches for a mess next week, given the lack of progress, starting by offering insightful tips for commuters: City's advice if SEPTA strikes: Trains, bikes or carpools. Great. How about putting some pressure on negotiators instead? The Daily News offers this practical survival guide to get you out the door on Monday.

Meanwhile, the press is heaping pressure on the union side of things. First the Inquirer editorial page encourages the union to work with the latest SEPTA offer. Then a Daily News columnist takes them to task for their public relations assault. I'm sure both sides have made some missteps, but surely there's room for negotiation and counter-offer, unless one side or the other thinks it's more important to "make a point" . . .


Update: Ray Murphy interviews a union spokesman about the union's stance on the negotiations and the possibility of strike. Fills out some details and answers some questions raised previously, but adds no sunshine to one's sense of the forecast.

Update 2: Here are some tips on what to expect from a part-time TWU employee, summarized on PhillyFuture. Still no sun...