LAMTA Statement re Mechanics/Operators Strike, Best and final offer made Options

[RailHaRRy]

Press release from L.A. County MTA:

Statement by Roger Snoble
Chief Executive Officer, MTA

October 27, 2003

Over this past weekend our negotiating team met with both the mechanics’ union and the bus operators’ union. No progress was made toward arriving at a settlement of either contract. As a result, the MTA Board has concluded we have reached an impasse with the mechanics’ union, and the Board has instructed me to prepare a last, best and final offer to the ATU.

The Board does not take this decision lightly, but at this time, it has come to the conclusion that further talks will yield no progress.

Our best estimate is that we are currently $37 million apart on health and welfare issues, and overall, approximately $98 million apart. Time’s a wasting; people are being hurt; the end of Daylight Savings Time creates additional reasons for us to hurry up, as it now becomes more of a safety issue.

Full press release here.