MTA Strike Rules Budget Talks

Budget talks continued with the Metro Council last night regarding the Metro Transit Authority. The Mayor’s proposed budget steps up MTA’s yearly subsidy from 16-point-4 million to nearly 18-million dollars.

MTA didn’t get the full 3-million dollar increase to cover added fuel costs. But with the current allotment, MTA officials say they will not have to curtail services but may have to limit expansion.

Metro Council members were more concerned, however, about the threat of a strike from city bus drivers. Larry Lane represents the MTA union and says they had not heard from CEO Paul Ballard until yesterday.

“We’ve been to him several time to try and get him to step in and help with negotiations, and he tells us that he’s got people that do that, that he’s not interested in doing it. Says he’s not concerned with union problems. Says he don’t get involved in those day to day issues.”

Fielding the council’s questions about the looming strike, Ballard says MTA has no real contingency plan. He added that riders who use public transportation to get to life-saving medical treatments will get first priority.

“Some how they would be taken care of. Right now I can’t say how that would be, but they’d be at the top of the list.”

An estimated 26-thousand people ride MTA buses every day. Officials say that’s up by nearly 20-percent from last year, mostly because of fuel prices.

The union and MTA negotiators are in a cooling-off period and have not scheduled more contract talks which have centered on a cut in employee health care benefits. The union must give 2-days notice before going on strike.