The 41-day Metro Transit bus strike will likely come to an end under a tentative agreement reached early this morning, Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005 confirmed the settlement will be brought before its membership.
The agreement was reached after an all-night bargaining session that included Pawlenty, Metropolitan Council Chairman Peter Bell and Local 1005 President Ron Lloyd, according to a statement released by the governor's office. Upon reaching an agreement, Pawlenty directed the Met Council to be prepared to restart bus service as soon as possible.
"Both sides worked long and hard to find some common ground to get the buses rolling again," Pawlenty said. "I'm confident that this agreement is in the best interests of riders, union members, and taxpayers."
A new round of discussions began at 2 p.m. Monday. Pawlenty entered discussions at about 11 p.m. and negotiations concluded around 5:30 a.m. today, the governor said.
The full union is expected to vote on the tentative agreement later this week. If the agreement is approved, Chairman Bell said bus service could be restarted as early as Saturday.
Some 2,200 drivers, mechanics and service workers have been on strike since March 4, shutting down much of the Twin Cities transit system. A key issue in the talks was health care, particularly for retired workers. No details of the settlement were released.
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The 41-day Metro Transit bus strike will likely come to an end under a tentative agreement reached early this morning, Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005 confirmed the settlement will be brought before its membership.
The agreement was reached after an all-night bargaining session that included Pawlenty, Metropolitan Council Chairman Peter Bell and Local 1005 President Ron Lloyd, according to a statement released by the governor’s office. Upon reaching an agreement, Pawlenty directed the Met Council to be prepared to restart bus service as soon as possible.
“Both sides worked long and hard to find some common ground to get the buses rolling again,” Pawlenty said. “I’m confident that this agreement is in the best interests of riders, union members, and taxpayers.”
A new round of discussions began at 2 p.m. Monday. Pawlenty entered discussions at about 11 p.m. and negotiations concluded around 5:30 a.m. today, the governor said.
The full union is expected to vote on the tentative agreement later this week. If the agreement is approved, Chairman Bell said bus service could be restarted as early as Saturday.
Some 2,200 drivers, mechanics and service workers have been on strike since March 4, shutting down much of the Twin Cities transit system. A key issue in the talks was health care, particularly for retired workers. No details of the settlement were released.