PHILADELPHIA — A union deadline for a transit strike that could disrupt bus and subway services during the World Series games in Philadelphia was moved to Saturday evening, just hours before the start of Game 3.

The union, representing more than 5,000 transit workers, had threatened to go on strike at 12:01 a.m. Saturday if talks with Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority did not reach some accord.

But after the deadline passed, Allison Cooper, vice president of Transport Workers Local 234, said the group agreed to a request from Gov. Ed Rendell that it continue negotiations until 6 p.m. Saturday.

The union membership voted Oct. 25 to authorize a strike. The new deadline falls just hours before the start of Game 3 between the Phillies and the New York Yankees.

SEPTA spokesman Richard Maloney said the talks would continue late Saturday morning. "And we are going to pick it up from there and, hopefully, come to an agreement," he said.

The Phillies and Yankees are scheduled to play the third, fourth and fifth games of the Series Saturday, Sunday and Monday in Philadelphia. About 8,000 people typically take SEPTA to the baseball stadium for games, Maloney said.