Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn has urged Metropolitan Transportation Authority board members to take their dispute with striking bus and train mechanics to arbitration. The strike, which is primarily over health benefits, has affected 40,000 area commuters. In response to MTA?s reluctance to give an outside party control over its financial decisions, Hahn has suggested not making the arbitration binding. The union had previously called for binding arbitration and had no comment on Hahn?s proposal.
See "Hahn Urges MTA to Go to Arbitration", Sharon Bernstein and Kurt Streeter, Los Angeles Times, November 6, 2003