Feb. 29, 2012

 At yesterday’s City Council meeting, the Phoenix City Council approved a contract with Honorable Ruth V. McGregor, former Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, to provide mediation services related to negotiations between Veolia Transportation Services, Inc., Phoenix’s largest fixed-route transit service operator, and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) local 1433.

“Our public transit system is essential to keeping our economy moving and it is in the best interest of all to reach a mutually agreeable solution,” said Mayor Greg Stanton.  “Justice McGregor’s unquestionable leadership and ethics would be our best chance to bring a good resolution to this dilemma.”

“The negotiations have been ongoing for the past two years and it is time to reach a resolution,” said Councilwoman Thelda Williams, chair of the City Council Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee.  “Should negotiations fail again, many hardworking people in our community would be impacted – and we can’t allow that to happen.”

Both parties continue to have dissimilar positions on various labor negotiation items that prevent them from signing a new collective bargaining agreement.  The contract approved will not exceed $25,000 for these services.

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