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Philadelphia area transit union will call strike if needed

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Workers for the Philadelphia-area transit system have voted to authorize a strike next month if an agreement isn’t reached on a new contract. The Transport Workers Union Local 234 said a voice vote at a Sunday morning meeting in south Philadelphia approved a motion to allow union leaders to call a strike if an agreement with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is not reached in a week. The union represents about 5,000 bus drivers, cashiers, mechanics, and other workers providing service for buses, trolleys, the subway, and elevated train ...

Pennsylvania’s jobless rate, labor force, payrolls drop

HARRISBURG (AP) — Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate continued to hit new post-pandemic lows, according to state figures released Friday, but the labor force and payrolls shrank in September as employers struggle to find enough employees. Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate dropped two-tenths of a percentage point to 6.2% from August’s rate, the state Department of Labor and Industry said. The national rate was 4.8% in September, and Pennsylvania lags most other states at 41st among 50. The surveys were conducted after the federal government ended supplemental payments of $300 ...

Forecasters probe for possible tornadoes in Pennsylvania, Ohio

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The National Weather Service on Friday planned to survey damage to determine whether tornadoes touched down as storms swept across parts of western Pennsylvania and northeast Ohio. Radar data in Pennsylvania on Thursday night indicated three twisters swirled near Mt. Nebo and Hampton in Allegheny County and Buffalo Township in Washington County, forecasters said. The National Service in Cleveland issued 11 tornado warnings, the most for a single day in that area dating back to 2005, forecasters said. A roof was ripped off a house in Wickliffe and a tree fell on ...

Biden plugs $2T plan in Scranton to revive US

SCRANTON (AP) — President Joe Biden returned to his birthplace Wednesday for the first time since taking office, declaring his multitrillion-dollar safety net and infrastructure packages would restore an America starving for investments in its workers, families and the environment. The ...

Pa. appeals court takes up school mask challenge

A Pennsylvania appeals court heard arguments Wednesday on whether the Wolf administration had the legal right to impose a mask mandate on K-12 schools and child care facilities to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The state’s acting health secretary ordered students, teachers and staff to wear face coverings when inside, reversing course after Gov. Tom Wolf had earlier pledged that masking in schools would remain a local decision. The Aug. 31 order, issued as the highly contagious delta variant was driving a statewide surge in cases and hospitalizations, has sparked fierce ...

Shapiro notes $10M campaign cash for Pa. executive race

HARRISBURG (AP) — The Democratic candidate for governor of Pennsylvania, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, has just over $10 million on hand in his campaign account ahead of next year’s election, his campaign said Wednesday. Shapiro’s campaign finances have been a hot topic of speculation by insiders, given his reputation as a formidable fundraiser, and the disclosures come three months before the Jan. 31 deadline for gubernatorial campaigns to report year-end finances to the state. Shapiro, considered the likely Democratic nominee to succeed Gov. Tom Wolf, has raised a ...