In an attempt to end a five-week strike and restore transit services, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) officials and union leaders representing the striking mechanics met Sunday to discuss the possibility of arbitration. Union members would return to work while the arbitration panel drafted a proposal on health benefits, a major issue in the strike. The arbitration would be nonbinding as each side would have a chance to turn down the panel's recommendation. There is also a possibility that the two sides will reject arbitration in favor of signing a new deal without third-party assistance.
See "MTA, Union Leaders Meet on Arbitration", Kurt Streeter, Los Angeles Times, November 16, 2003