Los Angeles transit workers reject governor's plea

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Several thousand striking bus and rail workers on Wednesday rejected a plea from California Gov. Gray Davis that they return to their jobs while contract negotiations continue.

"No!" the workers shouted after United Transportation Union President James Williams had relayed Davis' request. Davis said the strike could resume if a new contract agreement was not reached within a week, according to Williams.

The strike began Sept. 16, and one of the sticking points is a proposal from the Metropolitan Transit Authority to hire more part-time employees in an effort to shave $23 million off the cost of overtime to the drivers. The union has not accepted the proposal.

MESSAGE BOARD L.A. transit strike

The crowd of drivers and rail operators booed when Williams related what he said was the conversation he had with Davis. "He said, 'I need to have your people go back to work for five days and then come back out on strike,'" Williams said.

Union leaders told the cheering drivers the strike could last several more weeks and suggested the MTA was attempting to break the union.

United Transportation Union President James Williams relays the governor's request

The MTA says it will have a $438 million operating deficit over the next 10 years if expenses aren't cut. The drivers want more money for pensions and for a health care trust administered by the union.

The MTA has offered raises of 2.7 percent a year over the next three years; the union wants 4 percent.

Drivers blame the MTA's deficit on costly building projects and say they shouldn't have to pay for the agency's funding mistakes. The MTA blames generous worker contracts signed in past decades.

With 2,200 MTA buses, Los Angeles' system is the third largest in the country, following New York and New Jersey.

An estimated half a million people are affected by the transportation strike. Most of them make less than $15,000 a year and do not own cars.

CNN Correspondent Greg Lamotte contributed to this story.

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Los Angeles Rail Transit
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority
California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO
United Transportation Union
Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation
Amalgamated Transit Union

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