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Martinez proposes short-term pact to avoid Cap Metro strike
Monday, November 3, 2008 by Austin Monitor
Austin City Council Member Mike Martinez is making an effort to prevent a strike by Capital Metro drivers this week. The leadership of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1091 announced on Friday their drivers would walk off the job on Wednesday after having worked for the past several months without a contract. However,
“I’m proposing a two-year stop-gap contract that goes back to July of 2007 that will continue through July of 2009,”
In addition to preventing a strike,
He predicted the proposed audit could shed light on the agency’s health care costs, which have been a point of contention during negations, and about the long-term financial trends facing the agency as it attempts to keep expenditures from exceeding revenues.
Council Member Brewster McCracken, who also serves on the Capital Metro board, Council Member Laura Morrison, Council Member Lee Leffingwell, State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, State Rep. Dawnna Dukes, and Nelson Linder with the NAACP, joined
On Saturday,
However,
In the past, union representatives have appeared before the Capital Metro Board soliciting the transit agency’s involvement in contract talks. However, agency officials have replied that it would be improper for Capital Metro to join the discussions, since the agency is not a direct party to the contract.
“There are no surprises in terms of the two different sides. Everyone’s been briefed on this. The board is fully aware of it, as well as Capital Metro management,”
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