[Mpls] Bus strike-which side wants a strike? which side wants arbitration?

[Ed Fesler]

   At last!

   Laurie Blake of the Star Tribune has a good article
that answers the question of which side is willing to
prevent a strike through arbitration:

  http://startribune.com/stories/462/4630233.html

  In January the union and the Republican Met Council
avoided a strike by agreeing to submit the dispute to
binding arbitration. The Pawlenty Met Council reneged
on its committment to binding arbitration.

  In a nutshell, here are the positions of the two
parties:

  The Republican Met Council wants a strike or else a
total surrender by the union. Take it or leave it.

  The Transit Workers want a negotiated settlement and
are also willing to submit the dispute to binding
arbitration. 

  The Pawlenty Met Council has been hiding behind
procedural issues to avoid binding arbitration.

   The Republicans who control state government are
the aggressors. They are forcing a strike.

   The root cause of this strike are the Republican
budget cuts. They are wrecking the Mpls public schools
(see David Rubenstein's op-ed in the Trib a few days
ago).

  Here is David Rubenstein's article:

http://www.startribune.com/stories/1519/4620599.html

   This bus strike is another attack on the inner
cities. Bus riders need to know who caused this strike
and who the real enemy is.


  Michelle Sommers of the Transit Workers union has an
op-ed piece that refutes the propaganda put out by the
union-busters:

  http://www.startribune.com/stories/1519/4629820.html


    Ed Fesler    edfesler at yahoo.com     Minneapolis

  



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