PAT Route Cuts Coming Sunday

The Port Authority Board is to meet at 3 o'clock this afternoon, but it won't be to vote on wage concessions offered by the union representing PAT drivers. Pat McMahon, president of local 85 of the Amalgamated Transit Workers Union, says they offered to eliminate a scheduled 3% pay hike, and trim current pay by 10%, a total of $18.6 million in savings. Port Authority CEO Steve Bland called the concessions offer "historic," but County Executive Dan Onorato rejected the offer, demanding health care and pension givebacks as well, plus changes to overtime rules.
The PAT board is to vote this afternoon on a proposal by private bus company, Lenzner, to operate 2 routes from Marshall and Franklin Park in the North Hills to downtown Pittsburgh which are among those to be cut. Starting tomorrow, PAT plans to eliminate 29 bus routes and reduce service on 37 others. 180 workers will be laid off.