State Legislation Affecting MTA Bus Workers Advances

A bill to shield bus workers’ wages and benefits in the event regional bus lines are broken off from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority cleared the state Legislature on Friday and now awaits action by Gov. Gray Davis.

The much-disputed legislation, backed strongly by Democrats and labor unions but opposed by Republicans, local officials and San Fernando Valley business leaders, would force new transit zones formed in the areas served by the MTA to assume its union contracts. It was approved by the Senate on Friday morning after passing the Assembly on Thursday, both times in votes along party lines.

A group of nine Valley area cities is hoping to break away from the MTA to run the 27 bus lines that serve the Valley and surrounding communities, while in the San Gabriel Valley, Foothill Transit is hoping to expand into Pasadena and other cities in current MTA territory.

The bill represents an effort by the unions to ensure if the MTA is broken up, the new regional entities do not expand service at the expense of workers. That was one of the chief approaches taken by Foothill Transit, a privately managed bus zone widely regarded as the prototype for autonomous transit districts.

But opponents of the bill, including advocates of a proposed Valley transit zone, say the bill actually represents an effort to preserve an outdated, inefficient bureaucracy--the MTA--even though, they contend, Foothill Transit has shown a more effective model for providing bus service. They argue it would be pointless to create a bus zone for the Valley if the new entity had to assume what they regard as bloated union contracts.

Although the bill has passed the Legislature, the fight is hardly over. Opponents have launched a strong effort to persuade Davis to veto the bill.

Davis’ press office said the governor has not yet taken a position on the bill.