Brink’s Drivers End 17-Day Strike Without Settlement

About 100 Brink’s Inc. drivers in three Southern California counties ended their 17-day strike Friday even though they have not reached a settlement with management, spokesmen for both sides said.

Bill Clark, an attorney for the Armored Truck Employees Assn., said Robert Brodie, the union’s president, told Brink’s the remaining strikers were unconditionally offering to return to work. Clark said some of the workers had started crossing the union’s picket lines in the last week.

Jim Burnham, corporate vice president for Brink’s, said there had been “a steady erosion of the strike effort. Nine or ten reported to work Friday.” He said the company had replaced about 50% of the strikers during the labor dispute. “Their positions are currently filled. If an opening occurs, they will be brought back on a priority basis,” he added.

The Brink’s drivers walked off the job Nov. 26, protesting cuts in pay, reductions in benefits, changes in working conditions and the company’s failure to recognize the union. Union representation elections were held earlier this year, but the National Labor Relations Board has not counted the ballots because of pending objections to the elections.

Meanwhile, the strike by about 400 employees of Armored Transport Co. of California Inc., which began Nov. 25, continued in several California counties. Clark, who also represents the union at that company--the Cash and Securities Handlers Assn.--said two bargaining sessions had been held under the auspices of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service this week, but that no settlement resulted. He said he was hopeful that further negotiations would be held soon.

Those workers are also protesting wage and benefit cuts.

Representatives of Security Pacific National Bank and First Interstate Bank said Friday that the strikes had had no impact on their cash deliveries.