MTA STATEMENT RE:  COOLING OFF PERIOD
ORDERED IN MTA LABOR CONTRACT TALKS 

The MTA appreciates the action taken by Gov. Gray Davis to secure a court order today that imposes a cooling off period while bargaining continues to achieve new MTA labor contracts. Superior Court Judge Dzintra Janavs today issued a temporary restraining order preventing any work stoppage until a hearing on a preliminary injunction can be held July 25. The judge then is expected to extend the cooling off period through Sept. 3, 2000.

The MTA is hopeful in the next two months it can reach agreements with its major labor unions, representing bus and rail operators, mechanics and clerks and avert a work stoppage.

The Governor’s intervention gives us more time but does not let anyone off the hook. The MTA urges union leaders to work with us this summer in aggressively and creatively negotiating solutions to MTA’s most important labor and productivity problems. These include rising workers compensation costs, lost time and absenteeism, and customer scheduling and service issues. Combined, these problems cause MTA to have the highest operating costs of any public transit company in the region.

            The MTA’s goals in these labor negotiations are to ensure a qualified and experienced workforce is in place; provide more and better customer service; operate more competitively and efficiently; and use public funds wisely.  The MTA believes that these benefits can be achieved through meaningful negotiations without layoffs, with reasonable increases in wages and while maintaining equivalent employee benefits.

MTA-080                 ###

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