Little Time Left for RTD Accord, Governor Warns

Gov. George Deukmejian warned Monday that “time is running out” for the Southern California Rapid Transit District to settle its labor dispute with bus drivers and avoid a threatened strike later this month.

In a letter addressed to RTD President Nikolas Patsaouras and Earl Clark, the head of the United Transportation Union, Deukmejian complained that local bus riders could be forced to endure their sixth strike in the last 13 years, unless both sides resolve their differences quickly.

“Time is running out,” Deukmejian told the two leaders, after noting that less than two weeks remain in a 60-day, court-ordered “cooling-off” period. “This is the time for meaningful negotiation, not meaningless posturing and procrastination. . . .”

Delivered Last Week

Deukmejian’s letter was delivered last week but was made public by the governor’s office Monday.

The cooling-off period, which expires at midnight April 21, came about in February, after Deukmejian asked Atty. Gen. John Van de Kamp to seek a court injunction blocking drivers from striking for 60 days. Both sides called on the governor to intervene, after talks broke down between the district and the union, which represents 5,000 drivers.

“If the district and the union fail to reach an accord during this (cooling-off) period,” the governor said in his letter, “it will represent nothing more than a cruel slap in the face to the daily riders, particularly the less advantaged, who depend on the (RTD) for their transportation needs.”

Spokesmen for both the RTD and the union said they have plans, made before receipt of the governor’s letter, to resume talks today.

Among the issues dividing the two sides are differences in wages and cost-of-living adjustments for drivers, as well as questions over health insurance benefits, driver schedules and subcontracting.

The RTD also has separate negotiations under way with its clerks.

In addition, a tentative settlement with 1,800 mechanics and maintenance workers was called into question last week in a dispute over the correct interpretation of a cost-of-living adjustment clause. No more negotiations in that dispute have been scheduled.