After two years of holding back through tense and unproductive contract negotiations, bus and train supervisors at Los Angeles? Metropolitan Transportation Authority yesterday voted to authorize their union officials to call a strike if negotiations remain deadlocked. The main points of contention between the LA MTA and the 500 members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union (AFSCME) Local 3634 are retroactive changes to benefits handling proposed by the union that management considers too expensive. The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) representing 2,000 LA MTA mechanics has announced that it will honor Local 3634 picket lines in the event of a strike---adding significantly to the disruption such a strike would cause.
See "Union Votes to OK Strike Against MTA", KURT STREETER, Los Angeles Times, August 6, 2002