A six-and-a-half-week strike by bus drivers in Westchester County ended last night when negotiators for the union and the bus company reached a settlement, officials said. þþThe details of the settlement were not disclosed, with officials from the county and bus company saying that they wanted to give the union a chance to present the settlement to its 568 members for the vote.þþÿWe're pleased that the settlement's been reached - absolutely,ÿ said Geoff Thompson, a spokesman for the bus company, Liberty Lines. Roger Toussaint, president of Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union, did not return calls last night. þþNegotiators from Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union and from Liberty Lines reached the settlement around 6:30 p.m., Mr. Spano said. þþThe protracted strike, which affected 50,000 daily riders, was marked by several breakdowns in negotiations and bitter sparring between the union and the company. During the 48 days of the strike, riders in Westchester scrambled to make new travel arrangements, and the lack of buses left its mark on many people's routines. Some students missed school, and some stores changed their hours because employees could not arrive at usual times. þþA central issue of contention was the retirement age for drivers. While the current contract allows full retirement benefits at age 62 after 20 years of service, the union sought to lower that age to 57, saying that many drivers die early in retirement, after suffering ailments from years at the bus wheel. The company had offered a full pension at 60.þþLast week, after a two-week impasse in the talks, the union revised its demand, agreeing to accept 97 percent of pension benefits for drivers retiring at 57.þþThe retirement age had concerned officials in the county, which pays an annual management fee of $25 million to the bus company. The officials said that lowering the age went against a national trend, while the company said that it would shrink the employment base that supports the retirees. Last night, Mr. Spano, whose business trip to China last month was lambasted in fliers posted by the union, said that he was pleased with the outcome. Although he, too, refused to disclose details of the agreement, he called it ÿfairÿ and said it would not raise county taxes or bus fares. þþþþþþIf the terms of the new contract are approved today in a special union vote, bus service could resume in the county as early as Friday, said the county executive, Andrew J. Spano.þþ
Source: NY Times
