Bus union seeks to meet with CTA
The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241 has asked the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to set up a meeting to discuss cost-saving measures for the bus division. The Local 241 represents CTA bus workers, who face an 18% reduction in force as the CTA makes company-wide layoffs. The CTA recently axed 1000 union and 100 non-union employees, most of these bus workers, though some rail workers, and a few higher-level managers as well. Local 241 has called the meeting to discuss potential cost-saving measures that they hope will restore some of these jobs, and allow the Bus Line 7 to get up and running once again. Contract negotiations between the two have been going on since October, with no agreement reached as of yet. Problems have arisen over pay cuts and increased health care costs, concessions which the CTA calls necessary, but which the union continues to adamantly refuse. The union hopes to present alternatives in the upcoming meeting.
See "Bus union seeks to meet with CTA", Chicago Sun Times, February 14, 2010