Veto of Costly Transit Concessions Urged

A group of San Fernando Valley business and civic leaders urged transit officials and the governor Thursday to reject union demands for what they call costly concessions.

Leaders of chambers of commerce and homeowner groups from throughout the Valley plan to gather today at a bus stop on Ventura Boulevard to urge Gov. Gray Davis to veto legislation that would force a proposed autonomous Valley bus system to maintain current wages and benefits for MTA workers.

The group will also urge the Metropolitan Transportation Authority not to make concessions to striking drivers and other employees that would hamper creation of an independent Valley Transit Zone.

Neil Silver, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, said Davis’ signature on the bill could help turn around the stalled labor negotiations.

“It certainly would help to end the strike,” Silver said.

But as the strike entered its seventh day, some Valley leaders said the measure would make it much more difficult to create a bus system responsive to local desires.

“So far, the MTA board is pretty unwavering in its support for a Valley Transit Zone and we want to make sure that support is maintained,” said Richard Katz, a leader of the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn.

Davis has nine days to decide what to do with the bill. Last year, he vetoed a similar measure, much to the delight of several Valley representatives. At the time, he said he did not want to become involved in an issue that should be decided locally.

Davis has a representative working to encourage strike negotiations.

A spokesman for the governor denied that the zone and labor dispute have been linked.

“The governor is taking a close look at the situation down there, the strike, but he will evaluate the bill on its merits,” said Roger Salazar, a spokesman for Davis.

The Valley leaders also want the MTA board not to make major contract concessions that would make it more expensive for the Valley Transit Zone, said Bruce Ackerman of the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley.

“The message is we are supporting the MTA board effort to hold the line,” Ackerman said. “If we have to take over a new contract that exacerbates the problems of the MTA, then we are going to have nothing.”

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Holding the line is important, Katz said. “There is a way that the men and women at the MTA can earn a good salary while at the same time we have a transit zone and end the strike.”

The MTA’s lead negotiator, Tom Webb, said last month that “The zone issue is the single greatest strike threat in negotiations with at least two if not three unions.”

MTA negotiators have now offered to include language in the new contract that would require wages and benefit provisions of the contract to be honored if workers are moved to a Valley bus system, said Rick Jager, spokesman for the transit agency.

“We have indicated to them that we would be willing to give protections in the contract that would protect their wages and benefits,” he said.

Silver said the unions insist that strong protective language be included in any settlement of the labor dispute, and he chided Valley leaders for raising an alarm.

“I don’t know why the Valley folks are afraid of [the bill] because it does exactly what the Valley people said they would do, accept the contract’s wages and benefit,” he said.