By Jim Melwert

– Septa and two unions representing Regional Rail workers met with the National Mediation Board in Washington today.

The board held the hearing with Septa and the two unions representing about 400 engineers and electrical workers on the transit agency’s Regional Rail lines.

A Septa spokesman says the board encouraged the two sides to go back to the negotiating table and continue talking.

While no talks are currently scheduled, Septa says they hope to continue negotiations soon.

Regional Rail employees represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen walked off the job in June, but were forced back one day later, after a presidential emergency board was convened. That delays any labor action for 240 days, half of which remain before the unions could take any further job action.

Source: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/08/04/federal-mediation-board-tells-septa-regional-rail-workers-to-keep-talking/