Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials have broken off labor negotiations with the mechanic?s union, two weeks into a strike. The negotiations have been focused on health benefits. The union claims that MTA's last proposal is not sufficient to deal with increases in health care costs. By declaring an impasse and making their final offer, the MTA has laid the legal groundwork for hiring replacement workers, although this will be difficult considering the skill level of the mechanics.
See "MTA Ends Talks With Mechanics", Kurt Streeter, Los Angeles Times, October 27, 2003