A Strike Against the Future

Los Angeles, car-dependant city that it is, struggled to survive the first day of the strike against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Initially it was an inconvenience mostly for those poor souls, unaware that bus mechanics had walked off the job at midnight, who found themselves stranded at bus stops. But the longer this strike goes on, the tougher it will be for everyone--not just the many thousands of people who depend on buses to get around town, but the majority who drive to work and may soon find the roads more crowded as transit users switch to other modes of transportation.

It is most unfortunate that the MTA, the massive transit agency that runs the nation’s biggest bus system, was unable to reach agreement on a new contract with the Amalgamated Transit Union, which represents the roughly 1,900 mechanics who keep those buses rolling.

Separate negotiations with the two unions that represent 4,400 drivers and 600 clerks had gone well enough to bring about tentative agreements with both groups. The sticking point with the mechanics is the MTA’s goal to contract with the private sector for certain services, such as bus maintenance.

The reason the union is so adamant on that point is that in recent years, for the first time ever, MTA had to lay off some mechanics. The union, understandably, is determined to prevent any of its members from losing jobs. But the logic behind contracting out government services to save taxpayer money is so compelling that the issue is not going to fade away, especially with MTA facing a budget shortfall owing to a decline in sales tax and fare box revenues.

In 1991, when the MTA employee unions last signed contracts, local transit officials were flush with local tax funds and money flowing from Washington and Sacramento for major new transit projects such as the Red Line subway.

Those days are gone, at least for the foreseeable future. So everyone must sacrifice to get through these lean times. In the long run, that means the unions must be prepared to give ground on outside contractors. In the short run, the rest of us must brace for what could be a long strike. Not exactly what Los Angeles needs.