Transit Union Offering Concessions

After apparently being rejected by Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, the head of the local Amalgamated Transit Union in Pittsburgh is finding a more sympathetic ear in the PAT board.

Union President Pat McMahon says he offered a proposal to cut union pay by 10% and forego an upcoming 3% raise if the Port Authority of Allegheny County would put an end to 15% service cuts and 180 layoffs set to go into effect this Sunday and reject a plan to allow a private company to begin shuttling riders from two stops in the North Hills to downtown. The County Executive reportedly rejected the plan but when the PAT Board heard of the offer it recessed its monthly meeting and is now awaiting a written version of the offer. McMahon says he thinks he can have that document in the board’s hands this morning.

If the PAT board approves the concessions the deal would still have to be approved by the union membership. McMahon says the union is looking to book a hall Sunday that is big enough to hold all of the members.

McMahon says the deal is worth $18.6 million. That is still short of what PAT says it needs to keep its budget balanced.